Identities
by shinobipopcorn
Summary: Legends say the Hero will be a boy blessed with the gift of courage. Because of this prophecy, the little girl named Link was raised and lives as a boy. When Twilight enveloped Hyrule she took up the sword, but fell in the battle against the evil king Ganondorf. But instead of killing her, he spares her life... T for violence/mild consensual sexuality. Major revision complete!
1. Ordon

The sun beat down strongly on the grass, interrupted every so often by an errant cloud. It was a perfect day to tend to the ranch, and Link had finished herding the goats earlier than expected. He started dozing off in the grass, until the vibrations of a stern stride brought him to attention.

"LINK!"

He recognized that tone, and braced for the incoming lecture. It was Ilia, who managed to scare off even Fado and the nearby goats into a panic. Link was on his own.

"COME WITH ME, MISTER." A nimble hand darted out and grabbed Link's arm, dragging him down the path toward the village. Once the ranch was out of sight, Ilia stopped and helped Link up.

"What did I tell you about overworking Epona?" Ilia frowned, pointing to the horse that stood patiently nearby. "There was a scratch on her leg. If Fado is overworking you, speak up and tell him to use his own horse!"

Link bowed his head, keeping mum. Ilia immediately understood why. Link never spoke in front of anyone if he could help it, and there was an underlying reason.

"Link, you don't need to hide it. I know he wouldn't think any differently of you. No one would. We all love you for who you are inside, not on the outside. Come, let's go talk to my father."

Ilia pulled the reluctant Link into her home. Bo, the mayor of Ordon Village, smiled when he saw his daughter enter, dragging Link behind her. One look, and Bo knew what this was about. It seemed like they had this same conversation every week.

"Father, tell Link that the village won't care if they find out the secret."

Link squirmed. The secret Ilia was so fond of discussing was a sour point. Ilia was his best friend, but he hated when she brought it up. In fact, he had never wanted her to find out in the first place, but it couldn't be helped. Bo and Rusl, who took care of Link after his parents' death, decided that Link needed a confidant more his age. So they sat down with Ilia and explained the reason Link never talked- Link was actually a girl.

"Ilia, let Link tell everyone when he's ready." Bo always used male pronouns when discussing Link, as a way of ensuring that he never slipped up and revealed something by accident. It was upsetting to Ilia, because she felt Link was being oppressed.

"Father, _she_ shouldn't have to hide who she really is! Why did you all decide this in the first place? Does it have something to do with that birthmark?"

Link glanced at the back of her hand, then shoved it in her pocket. No one in Ordon Village was very religious, but the significance of the mark did not escape her parents. Link's father had lived in Kakariko Village and knew the legends well. They told of a hero garbed in green, destined to use his courage to deliver the world from evil.

Link's father had the utmost faith in his child to embrace her destiny, but he did not have faith in the rest of Hyrule. The legends said a _boy_ would save them, and that _he_ would vanquish evil. Hyrule was a progressive land, but not even the mark of the Goddesses themselves would be enough to convince the people to put their trust in a little girl, especially if she grew to have her mother's figure. So Link's father, with the help of his old friend Rusl and the mayor, decided it was best for Link to live as a boy.

Link had a rough time coping with this decision as a child. At the age of three, her parents were taken from her in an accident and she no longer had them to confide in. On top of that, she was a very feminine little girl. Even rough hours spent learning ranch work, fishing, and swordplay couldn't hide her golden hair and rosy skin, and of course one word from her mezzo-soprano voice gave it all away.

But because her parents had so wished it, Link kept up the charade. She trimmed her hair short, and bound her chest every morning, a task that became more difficult as she developed. This was why she was grateful to have Ilia around, because she was someone who understood and who could help. Ilia would even fetch medicine and cottons from the midwife every month for when Link had her menstruation.

Link snapped out of her reverie and hugged Ilia. "I'm okay," she mumbled, voice soft and jagged from underuse. Ilia nodded and hugged back, though still angry at Bo for having a hand in Link's turmoil.

"...Fine. But don't stress yourself out. I don't want your spirit to break."


	2. The Battle

"_You have an obligation to save Hyrule, Link. This mark on your hand says that you are special. You aren't like Ilia or the other little girls. You have to play the part of a boy in order to protect Hyrule."_

_"...But why can't I be a girl?"_

Link snapped the reigns in her hands and dug her heels into Epona's side, urging the mare forward. The Princess pulled back and let fly another arrow, just barely missing Ganondorf's shoulder, but managed to connect when he came back around. Link took the opening and lunged forward, quickly jumping up into a spin attack.

Ganondorf feigned injury and allowed himself to be knocked off his black steed Vengeance, using the opportunity to fire a magical blast at Link. It connected just as Link finished her spin, and threw her from Epona. Zelda had enough time to grab the reigns before she herself was thrown off, but did not have time to come back around as a bright orange barrier sprang up around the Gerudo and Hero.

_Broken spirit... perhaps that's what this feeling is?_

Link lay on the ground, exhausted mentally and physically. Recalling Ilia's words, Link fumbled at the horse call around her neck. Barely enough breath to use it, she whistled for Epona. No response. That was when she noticed the magical barrier.

"An impressive-looking blade... But nothing more. Let's see if you are as skillful with it on foot as you were on that horse."

Ganondorf. _That's right, we're in Hyrule Field. I knocked him from that black steed, but why am I down, too?_ A sharp pain in her right shoulder reminded Link what had happened.

Link sprung up and saw the dark man approaching. From the corner of her eye she could see Zelda, still atop Epona and pacing outside the barrier. Link had just enough time to motion for Zelda to flee, which she did, galloping away as fast as Epona could carry her.

Zelda and Link both understood that there was no cowardice in the princess's actions. The barrier prevented any assistance, and it was best to get the Triforce of Wisdom as far from the evil king as possible should Link fall. The thought made Zelda shudder, as she had no defenses left should he perish. When this strange forest child showed up in her castle, she immediately recognized his abilities and put her hopes into him. He defeated Zant, surely he can defeat Ganondorf.

Ganondorf lunged forth and thrust his fist into Link's jaw, just as she turned back from the princess. Pain screamed in her head and blood ran down her chin as she fell to the ground. It hurt so bad that Link heaved, and would have vomited had she eaten anything besides bread crumbs over the last few days.

"So this is the vessel chosen to hold the Triforce of Courage. So fragile."

Link rolled away from the hand trying to grab her, and tossed a pile of dirt in the man's eyes. She needed to buy time to reach where the Master Sword had fallen. If only Midna were here to help. Crawling away, she got within a foot of the sword's hilt when a large hand pulled her ankle back. The grip was so strong, it felt like her bones were cracking.

"Oh no, Hero. You won't be needing that." Ganondorf flipped her over his head, sending her crashing to the ground and knocking the air clean out of her lungs. More blood dripped down the corner of her mouth, and her eyelids fluttered. He scoffed at the mark glowing on the back of her left hand, before pressing his foot over the wrist. She finally let her tears fall when a fierce three hundred pounds came crashing down on her brittle bones.

"Nnghmmf!" Link stifled the cry, the pain of her shattered wrist overwhelming and her lungs too weak to scream. Tears continued rolling down her face, and she squirmed away so her adversary would not see such weakness.

But he did see it, and it intrigued him. "The Hero of Light, defeated by a broken bone? How _womanly_."

Link took the bait, snapping her eyes open and punching at the Gerudo with her remaining hand. Of course it was womanly. Link had seen and experienced many forms of abuse throughout her journey to rid Hyrule of twilight, but she had never learned to deal with pain.

After every trial, she usually broke down and cried herself to sleep. It didn't take Midna long to find out her secret, but thankfully Midna was a wonderful listener. The Twili were matriarchal, so she passed no judgement aside from her usual snark. It was one of the reasons they became such good friends, and only furthered the rage Link held for the monster who had defeated her.

Ganondorf easily dodged Link's flimsy punches, then drove his fist into her chest in retaliation. Ribs cracked, and Link expelled a mouthful of blood onto the dark man's breastplate before losing consciousness. The last thing she saw was a look of confusion from the dark king as her world went black.


	3. Honor and Obligation

Ganondorf squinted his eyes at the fallen hero. He expected a smiliar reaction from the boy when he called him womanly. But now that he had a good look at the green clad warrior, he noticed something. The boy was small and pale. A slender chin with chubby cheeks, thin sidelocks, no trace of stubble...

The Gerudo sat down beside Link and lifted the hand he had just crushed. The boy's arm felt like it had no weight to it, even with the heavy leather gauntlets. "You really are fragile, aren't you Hero? I wonder, have you even eaten along your journey? Your bones weigh nothing, your lips are thin, and your hair is brittle..."

A slight moan came from the hero as Ganondorf dropped Link's hand, and it made his eyes light up. "Oh, you precious little thing... Now it all makes sense. But why hide it? Are your kinsmen that petty?"

Ganondorf picked up Link and walked back toward the castle. "You remind me of a fairy tale... In a time when our people were suffering, a young king took the throne. He spent no wealth on himself, using every ounce of his power to help our people build relationships and capital. He was the best king we ever had, he even came close to peace with the Hylians. The only pleasure he took for himself was a weekly trip to the Great Fairy's spring on the edge of the province.

"It was on one of these trips that the good king lost his life. A witch who had tried to seduce the king followed him one day, and discovered that he was actually a young girl. Out of rage, the witch strangled the poor girl. The young girl gave up her identity for the good of the people, only to have her life taken by someone hungry for power."

Ganondorf stopped walking and looked down at Link. "I suppose I resemble the witch in that story, don't I?" With a sigh, he continued into the castle. He smirked at his new conquest- this was all _his_ now. Zelda had taken off, but it wouldn't be long before he found her. Besides, wisdom without power or courage is useless, and right now Ganondorf controlled all force in the kingdom. Not even the mighty Gorons would be able to stop him.

But at the moment, he was most interested in the courage that had fallen into his lap. He knew the Hylian legends of the hero well, but he never thought the Goddesses would create their champion in the form of a woman. He spent his entire life surrounded by women, and knew everything they were capable of, so Link's strength and tenacity did not surprise him. Instead, it was how such a feminine beauty tried desperately to hide her gender. Were Hylians so arrogant as to refuse assistance if it wasn't in the form of a man?

Ganondorf marched up the stairs toward the bedchambers, encountering his general at the end of the hall. "Aveil, fetch me some clean linens and a number of cottons. Splints as well. ...You better bring a few sleeping gowns, too."

"Gown? This is a girl?" Aveil, Ganondorf's second in command, stared at Link. She saw not a hero but a child, and shook her head disapprovingly. "Hylians... I should have known no one but an innocent child would be willing to defend such a backwards kingdom. But what irony that they put their hopes in such a malnourished little girl, when they can't even stand to let their monarch be a proper queen without a husband."

"Yes, it is terribly ironic, they do not know who their hero really is. For the mean time, keep it that way until I decide how to proceed."

Aveil bowed to her master in understanding, and left to fetch the necessary supplies. She brought them back to Zelda's old room, where Ganondorf was busy removing the sleeping girl's bloody clothing. He tugged on her hat, and a mess of golden hair tumbled out to her shoulders. It looked as if she hadn't had time in her travels to trim it, and used the hat to further the disguise. Ganondorf found it adorable.

Next came the tunic. Link wore heavy chain mail beneath it, and a white shirt beneath that. Ganondorf expected breast binding after those were gone, but didn't expect the thick pillow tied around her waist to even the appearance. Even when bound, her breasts still protruded enough to give her away.

Ganondorf removed all wrapping and clothing but her panties, and set about treating her injuries. The pillow had absorbed some of the shock of his punch, but he could feel a broken rib on each side. There was also the crushed wrist, and various sized scrapes and cuts peppered her entire body. Aveil sighed in disgust at the multiple scars around Link's waist and arms, but otherwise stood silent as her king pampered the injured girl.

After applying several salves, healing spells, and splints, Ganondorf carefully slid the gown over Link's head. With her hair smoothed out and in her new clothing, she looked like a completely different person. He licked his thumb, and wiped a trail of dried blood from her lip. "No wonder you hide your beauty, it puts even the princess to shame."

He whispered a lullaby spell into her ear and kissed her on the forehead, then sat back and watched her sleep.

"...I feel an obligation to help her."

"My Lord?"

Ganondorf steepled his hands. "I can't explain it. I took Hyrule in order to improve it, I killed when I needed to and didn't look back. But with her, I feel as if there is so much more in her future besides dying in battle. Like I felt when I pulled the wolf from the sewer. She was so determined to save her friend, she took hits from her own forces. Such honor and loyalty..."

"Perhaps, My Lord, you two have that in common." Aveil smiled as she cleared away Link's bloody clothes. "I can honestly say in all the years I've known you, you've never let your goals impede your sense of honor. The hero's survival is a testament to that."

"So it is..." Ganondorf stood and made for the door. "Perhaps I should pay my other guest a visit. I imagine that our hero will be resting for quite some time, and the sooner I close that damned portal, the better."


	4. Goodbye

Darkness, darkness, and more darkness consumed Link's dreams, and she squirmed to escape it. She saw Midna, her tiny body transforming into the twisted mass of the Fused Shadow, and the headgear crumbling in Ganondorf's hand. Link had loyalty to Zelda, but didn't care about her fate as much as she did Midna's.

It had scared Link senseless when Zant exposed the frail Twili to Lanayru's light. She shared the imp's pain as she carried her to the castle, and empathized with her when she found her fellow Twili transformed. So the feelings that rushed Link when she saw the Fused Shadow disintegrate in the evil king's hand hurt more than her own injuries.

_Midna..._

A small prick brought Link back to her own pain, and suddenly her wrist burned. She did not have enough strength to wake up yet, but she definitely felt someone grabbing at her. The sensation dulled, and her awareness slipped back under.

* * *

"Nmm..."

Link fluttered her eyelids, slowly gathering the energy to open them. She saw an ornately decorated ceiling, which she recognized as part of Hyrule Castle. Her first instinct was to sit up, but an overwhelming ache prevented it. She forgot that she suffered a blow to her chest.

_My chest?_

She suddenly became aware of the lack of weight, and lifted her arms. All her equipment was gone. Her broken wrist was in a splint, and in place of her breast binding was a loose medicinal wrapping around the ribs, coated in some kind of minty oil. Most surprising was her overall appearance- she was dressed as a woman.

A creak from the door startled her, and she glanced over to see the dark lord himself.

"Are you awake enough for conversation?"

He approached the bed, kneeling down to inspect the broken wrist. "My condolences, however I don't believe you'll be able to hold a sword again with this arm. You'll have to learn to be right handed, little Hero."

Link glared at the man, wanting so badly to reach over and knock his teeth out.

"I'm afraid you'll find that my teeth are rather hard to dislodge, my boy."

Blue eyes opened wide, and questions immediately flooded Link's mind. _How did he know what I was thinking? But more that that, _my boy_? Was he insulting me? But there wasn't any inflection in his voice. Did he not notice? How could he not know, someone had to have undressed me..._

Ganondorf laughed at the sight of the little hero mulling things over. "Of course, I'd be more than willing to spar with you once your injuries have healed. You are no threat to me, you never were. Neither you, your princess, nor that shadow woman."

"...Mid...na."

The dark lord was surprised at the weak voice. He never heard words from the hero, not even through his puppet Zant. The voice was meek, but the tone was beautiful and rightly matched her feminine appearance.

"You're worried about that imp?"

A teary nod.

"She's not dead, if that's what you are thinking. Child, what lies did that princess and her sages tell you about me, that I'm a ferocious killer? Nonsense." Ganondorf exited the room, leaving Link confused. She had started nodding off when she heard him return, though this time a familiar whine accompanied him.

"Where are you taking me? Let go, you bastard! I'll kill you for what you did to- Link!"

The little imp's voice perked up when she saw the weak figure in the bed, and she ran to her. "What did he do to you?! Can you move? I know you do the whole mute thing, but say something!"

Link smiled. "...some...thing." She held out a splinted finger, and the Twili gripped it. Link was so grateful that Midna survived that she started crying, and soon the two of them were a pile of emotions. Neither noticed that Ganondorf had stepped out, giving the two girls some privacy.

Ganondorf returned an hour later. Link was back under, and Midna was wiping the sleeping girl's head. She hissed when she saw him. "What do you want, criminal?"

"I want to make a bargain with you, Twilight Princess. In return, I'll break the curse over you." Ganondorf had no interest in the Twilight Realm anymore, and was content to return it to her. Zant had been a disappointment, and proved that he was not ruling material.

"You think I'll bargain with a monster like you? Look what you did to Link! Her hand is useless! Why would you do something so horrible to a girl so much weaker than you?" Midna knew they were beyond secrets at this point, and thus lashed out with the only weapon she had- her insults.

The evil king shook his head. "My people are a race of female warriors. We do not confuse beauty with fragility." He walked over and rubbed a strand of the golden hair between his fingers. "This one has the divine gift, something you exploited for your own gain. I met her in battle as her destiny decreed, and spared her life. Of the two of us, which is the monster?"

Midna only glared at him, not wanting to respond. He was fine with her silence. "I will break the curse on you, and send you back to your home. The only thing I want in return is for you to destroy the mirror that connects our realms. Take this as a measure of good faith."

Ganondorf snapped his fingers, and Midna shuddered. A cloud enveloped her, and she grunted loudly enough to wake the sleeping hero. Link stirred, and stared at the cloud, concerned that her friend was in danger. When it dissipated, she was left staring at a tall stranger.

"Mid...na? ...Pretty..."

Midna smiled, grateful to be back to normal, and patted Link's head. "Sorry, Link, I had a secret, too." She glared back at the Gerudo, anxious about his next move.

"Hero, your friend has a choice to make. I will free her people and send her home, but in return, she can never come back to Hyrule." Ganondorf studied Link's reaction, and could clearly tell that Link wanted Midna to take the deal.

The two girls had a bond that wasn't easily broken, but Link was extraordinarily selfless. She just couldn't put her desire for a friend above the Twili's salvation. Link saw for herself how much the Twili valued their leader. They needed her. "Go..." she said, gripping Midna's hand. "Twili...leader...happy."

Midna hugged her friend. "You dumb doggy...! I can't leave you here alone, who knows what he'll do to you!"

"No harm will come to the Hero, I assure you," Ganondorf interrupted. "It may take you some time to learn this for yourself, imp, but war ends at conquest. I have the throne I desired, and there is no further need for bloodshed. I will not kill Link, so long as Link does not try to kill me."

"But you're evil! You want to use the Triforce and destroy Hyrule!"

"How can I rule a kingdom that is no more?" Anger was evident on Ganondorf's face. "I only wish for a peaceful society for my people. Zelda and her family were the ones who segregated the land and branded us as thieves. You of all people should know what it's like to be punished for a crime committed eons before your own birth!"

Midna was about to retort when Link touched her arm. They both knew peace was the ultimate goal, and while Link didn't want to give up her friend or her freedom, it was the right thing to do. "Midna..."

Midna choked up, and hugged her friend again. "All right. But I'm really going to miss you, Link."

"Me...too..."


	5. Not A Boy

"Eat."

A set of pursed lips opposed a spoon of porridge, drawing a sigh from the new king of Hyrule.

"I will force it in if you do not open your mouth."

Link rolled away from the bronze hand in her face, but its mate simply rolled her back. She was still sour over the loss of her friend Midna, and didn't want anything to do with the man who created the situation. Thus, this routine repeated every time Ganondorf tried to feed her, usually going until his patience wore out and he left the bowl on the nightstand.

"You are pushing my limits, boy. Eat it."

_Boy?_ That upset Link. She reached out and smacked the bowl away with her splinted hand. Ignoring her painful ribs, she curled into a ball and started mumbling, the weight of an eighteen year charade crashing down on her.

"Nota boy... not a... boy..."

"Well, of course, but you haven't told me to address you otherwise yet."

Link came out of her ball just enough to make eye contact. Ganondorf was wiping up the food spilt on his waistcoat, and grabbed another bowl from the nightstand as if nothing had happened. He turned back and saw her, and sighed at the trembling mass of golden hair and bandages.

"Do you know who the Gerudo are? They're a race of female warriors. Their entire lives are based around combat, and every free minute is spent learning how to fight as effectively as possible. Only one male is born per century, and while law makes him their king, they live their lives only needing men for reproduction. They are beautiful and powerful, and they embrace their bodies. Your misogynistic society is to blame for your suffering, my pet. If you wish me to address you properly, you must only ask."

The girl gave a slight nod, and uncurled herself. She begrudgingly looked down at her chest and stomach, rubbing the contours with her uninjured hand. She still wasn't used to her body in feminine clothing, so the sight was strange.

Her actions made Ganondorf chuckle. "Is this the reason why you speak so little?" he asked, giving up cleaning his waistcoat and tossing it aside. She nodded, and this time accepted the outstretched spoon. He continued feeding her until the food was gone, then leaned over and pulled the blankets from the bed. "It is time for you to bathe."

Ganondorf scooped Link up, and she immediately began thrashing about in protest. She didn't like these evil hands on her skin. They felt strange, rough and hot as if they belonged to an animal. It made her feel even worse when she saw just how small she was in comparison. Just one of those hands could snap her leg in half.

The struggling continued out into the hall, though Ganondorf didn't seem to care. He carried her to a room at the back of the castle, one lined with ceramic tile instead of stone. In the middle was a large in-ground bath tub.

"Stop moving so I can disrobe you," the Gerudo commanded, sending a wave of embarrassment through the hero. She shook her head and pushed away from him, but didn't realize that he wasn't holding her as tightly and tumbled to the floor.

"Angh," she yelped when she hit the ground, recoiling from the sudden sting in her hindquarters. Ganondorf took the opportunity to snatch away her nightgown. When the cold air hit her now uncovered chest, she shivered and pulled her arms in for warmth and cover.

"How amusing." Ganondorf laughed at her sense of modesty. "Did you forget I am from a race of women? The sight of breasts does not excite me. Many Gerudo forgo chest covering in the summer, some a lot larger than you. So it is pointless to hide your body from me, child. Besides, I've already seen them."

Link looked up at the man towering over her. He had a point. They were just body parts, parts she had to conceal all her life. To Link, breasts were just a burden, especially since she'd never have a child to use them. There were times when she envied other girls in the village, Ilia especially, for having smaller breasts that would be easier to conceal. But was she actually that large? Link thought back to the bar woman, Telma, who almost suffocated her once in a hug. Without realizing it, Link squeezed her arms together, mimicking Telma's jacket and staring at her chest.

"Don't do that," she heard her captor admonish softly as he sat down beside her. A pair of bronze hands reached out and pushed the girls arms away, and then gently cupped her soft pink bosoms. "Women who do such things are undermining their own beauty for the sake of pleasing men. Your breasts are perfect the way they are, and any man who can't see that isn't worth wasting time on."

Link shivered at the strange feeling of someone touching her chest. The Gerudo's hands were rough, but at the same time, it felt pleasing, like when the village children used to rub her back. She closed her eyes, all her apprehension melting away. When the Gerudo's thumb touched her perked nipple, she let out a soft moan.

Ganondorf smiled at her reaction, and slowly set about cleaning her body. He grabbed a nearby sponge and began massaging her tense shoulders. Link's eyes remained closed, even as he stroked her long ears. _She must never have been pampered before_, the Gerudo thought, surprised at how quickly her defenses and modesty had disappeared. He moved around her to wash her back, running fingers through her silky hair. This hair was too beautiful to hide.

The king pulled her into his lap, allowing her to lean back against his chest. After pulling off her medicinal wrap, he washed her stomach, pausing to run his fingers along the many scars lining her midsection. "You have suffered greatly during your journey, haven't you, little girl?" She cooed in response, half asleep. Ganondorf reached down and gently slipped off her undergarment, before hoisting her up and placing her into the water.

After rolling up his breeches, he sat on the edge of the tub, using his legs to hold her steady while he washed her golden hair. The gentle massaging of her scalp lulled her completely into slumber, and soon Ganondorf could hear her soft breathing catch.

He leaned down and inspected the girl's face. A month and a half had gone by since the battle, and she was slowly recovering. Her color had returned, and though she still resisted at mealtime, the improved nutrition was starting to fill her out. He removed the splint and palpated her wrist- it seemed to be well enough to leave unwrapped.

The only concern left on his mind was her mental state. Ganondorf greatly desired to see Link embracing femininity, and he had a feeling that she really wanted to as well. But it would be hard to just throw away so many years of behaviors. Her lack of speaking was a great example.

In six weeks, he hadn't heard more than thirty words out of her. He knew she was intelligent, there was no question in that regard. But it was her habit to use physical over verbal language, and he needed to find a way to reverse it. He wanted to hear more of that beautiful voice, wanted to hear it call his name.

Ganondorf sat back and stared at the ceiling. Did he just... _pine_ for her? He spared her life because he felt sorry for her, and his original plan was to mold her into a formidable opponent, not to keep her as a consort. But as he sat there, thinking of the girl dressed in the best of finery, dancing with him following a quiet dinner, falling asleep in his arms after making love, he realized that he was starting to fall in love with Link.


	6. Rehabilitation

**A/N: OMG, thank you to everyone who has followed/favorited this story! It makes me really happy to read the comments, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes a kind Ganondorf. :) I'm not entirely sure how long I want this story to be, but I'll keep going!**

* * *

A sunbeam wandered in through the open curtain, landing right on the pillow of a sleeping Hylian. Link scrunched her eyes, bringing her arms up to block it out and trying to regain her slumber. But it didn't work, and she eventually opened her eyes.

She was back in the room that had been her home for the last month and a half. She immediately noticed that her splint had been removed, though it still hurt when she clenched. Her rib pain had subsided for the time being, and she was able to sit up without difficulty. She contemplated trying to stand, and moved herself to the edge of the bed. Using the nightstand as support, she managed to get to an upright position. Her legs were weak from underuse, but in no time she was walking around the room.

Once she had her balance, she went to the window. Bracing for the worst, she flung open the curtain. Castle Town stood below, and all appeared to be as usual. She could even see a few Gorons walking about.

"Pleased with what you see?"

Link turned to find Ganondorf standing in the doorway, a tray of food in one hand and a book in the other.

"Didn't you hear me tell that imp that I was finished waging war?" The Gerudo sat down the tray and took up a position beside her. "I do not kill needlessly. These people are starting to understand that I will treat them as fairly as they treat me. Now come, sit and we will dine."

After the meal, Ganondorf once again picked Link up and carried her out of the room. She wiggled around, uncomfortable that she was being paraded around the castle in the revealing chemise Ganondorf had chosen.

"I have every intention of being a benevolent king, much more so than the bastard who had me executed," he said as he knelt and sat Link on a blanket outside in the courtyard. "So for your part, I expect you to honorably accept your defeat. I don't have to spare your life, and it would actually be a lot more convenient to take the Triforce of Courage from your rotting corpse. But I am choosing not to, out of compassion. Do not waste this favor, for it will never come again."

Ganondorf's words were stern, and the speech sent chills down Link's spine. She thought back to his deal with Midna. He told the Twili that he would not harm Link, but he may have been lying just to get her to destroy the Mirror of Twilight. Link had only been able to face him in combat because of the Master Sword's ability to repel evil, and should he attack her now, she would be defenseless. There was no other option- she would have to obey him.

Link stared at the ground, not wanting to accept that she had to obey him. But she finally looked up at the Gerudo and nodded. He responded by pulling her into his lap. "Then we are in agreement. Today begins your rehabilitation."

"...What?" Link managed to ask, watching Ganondorf produce the book from earlier. He gave her a smirk before flipping it to a page in the middle.

"You have a lot of things to learn, but we will need to start slow until you are healed. So today, we're going to work on your speaking," he said bluntly. "It is clear to me that you were not a willing participant in this misogynistic farce of hiding your identity. So, while you are in the castle and town, you will live as a woman."

Link was taken aback. She didn't know how to live as a woman. For her entire life, she was a boy, expected to do boy things and have boy mannerisms. She always wanted to be free to live as a girl, but she was also afraid of being an outcast. Even if people accepted her as female, they would still ridicule her interests. Women don't use swords. Women don't wrestle Gorons. And women of Link's age are expected to start families. Link couldn't bear the thought of being shamed for being herself.

Ganondorf watched as Link pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head. It looked like this would be a tough road. "Perhaps I am being too harsh. But you have a lot to learn in a short amount of time. You're approaching the best years of your life, and you can't spend them behind a facade."

He stopped talking, and turned his attention back to the book. "I know you can read, so you are going to read this book to me. Don't worry about being loud or having accurate pronunciation. Just read it. Go on."

Link took the book, sighing. She wasn't too concerned about her voice at this point, because everything else was out in the open. But it was still her first instinct to communicate visually, so she had to really focus on the words in front of her.

"Longa go inthe byutiful king-don of Hyrule sarounded by mountains and forests..." Link understood the words, but her pronunciation and pacing was childish. It reminded Ganondorf of how Gerudo would sometimes speak with a lisp or use baby talk to attract a Hylian mate. They always sounded fake. She sounded adorable.

Ganondorf wrapped his arms around the slender waist in his lap. He leaned over her shoulder as she read, admiring her concentration. When she finished the page, he whispered into her ear. "Well done, Link. You've earned a reward. What would you like?"

Link fidgeted at the Gerudo's breath on her ear. That and his arms around her waist made her heat up, and she felt her cheeks burning. A reward? She didn't really want anything other than to go home. It would be nice to go back to her old life, but that wasn't going to happen. What else could she ask for?

Something came into her mind at that moment, something she really did desire. If she had that, she could put up with the pain of being away from home. "My... horse call..."

"Mmm? A horse call?" Ganondorf thought back to the battle, when he saw Link fumbling with a strangely shaped necklace. So that's what it was. "I don't remember something like that with your belongings. You will have to give me time to find it." This was an opportunity Ganondorf could not pass up. He knew very well where the horse call was, but he wanted to do more than just give it back to her. He wanted to make it special.


	7. Escape

Link rolled around in bed, every so often flexing the hand that had just recently come out of its splint. A total of two months had passed since she lost to the King of Evil, and while she had made great progress physically, her mental recovery had stalled. Sure, Ganondorf had solved an eighteen year problem in two weeks by getting her to speak again. But she hadn't wanted to leave her bed since the ordeal began.

Just as she had withdrawn into her blanket, she heard those familiar footsteps approaching. _Ugh, what is it this time?_ As he always did, Ganondorf knocked but didn't wait for an answer before strolling in. He laughed at the childish blanket lump on the bed.

"There are times when I forget that you are but a maid. Perhaps what I've brought you is too sultry, then."

Link poked her head out of the blanket, enough to see Ganondorf holding a dark green gown. Even she had to admit, it was gorgeous. The sleeves fanned out from the elbows like lily bells. She grimaced when she saw how low the neckline was, and the dress would certainly drag on the floor, but it held a womanly shape without the restriction of a corset. Part of her liked it.

"We'll be taking a trip in the next few days, and you'll be my escort. It's an important excursion, so you'll be wearing this." Link snorted at the order, causing Ganondorf to scowl. "Is it so degrading to enjoy the reprieve I'm granting you? Would you rather I save myself the trouble and rip the Golden Power from your pretty little corpse?"

Ganondorf's hand reflexively gripped his sword, scaring Link enough that she jumped back to protect herself. But she slid off the bed, falling on her wrist and yelping in pain. Ganondorf dropped the dress and ran over to her, picking her up and setting her back on the bed.

"Such a jumpy little elfling you are. Give me your hand." He felt the wrist, and satisfied that no damage was done, smoothed out her hair. "We'll be meeting with the ruler of Labyrnna. I want to reach a peace accord with her, and your presence could smooth things out. But you can't appear before her in a blood soaked tunic, and we have your promise to consider."

"…live as a woman."

"That's right. Aveil will be in to help you dress, after we eat. But first, you have something to take care of, don't you?"

Link sighed. This was another part of her "training". Every morning when Ganondorf came to see her, he asked her to read a part of that faerie tale book aloud. Today's chapter just happened to be about a girl who falls in love with the beast who captured her. _Like that would ever happen…_

"D'land of Hyrule once helda treasure, able to grantany wish to da one who claimed it. But as with all treasures, it came witha steep price. None who hadever chased it returned da same; warriors b'came cowards, da greedy b'came poor. It was said dat da treasure hada life of its own, a nessence, and thatit en-chanted men who came too close ta its hiding place." Link stopped after the first paragraph, when she realized Ganondorf wasn't looking at the page, but at her.

"Very good. You've really improved. But as adorable as it is, we really need to fix your pronunciation. **The** treasure was able to grant **the** wish of whoever claimed it. Just like **the** elfling was able **to** enchant **the** demon king into treating her wounds and lavishing her with affection."

"…What?"

"Nothing. Keep reading."

* * *

Ganondorf led Link out to the castle stable. "I hope you remember how to ride. Of course, I wouldn't mind you riding in my lap..." Link rolled her eyes and walked over to the horse he picked, but needed his assistance mounting it. _This damned skirt..._

They proceeded toward the Labrynna border, east of Death Mountain. Ganondorf led the way, but kept his horse Vengeance as close to Link as possible.

_What's he think I'm going to do, run away?_

Link's eyes widened at her thought. _Run away..._ She knew the land rather well and there were a multitude of places to hide on the way towards Labrynna, so this was her best bet to escape captivity. Ganondorf couldn't know the land as well as she did, after all he was supposed to have been imprisoned for an era and things change through time.

It was mid morning now, so any escape would be futile. But surely it would be dark on the return...

* * *

Link grumbled. The meeting with Queen Ambi hadn't taken but an hour, the woman was so taken with Ganondorf that she agreed to all his propositions. So it was only late afternoon when they returned toward the castle. But this was her best chance, she had to take it.

She waited until Ganondorf drifted a little ahead of her, before lurching her horse to the left and digging her heels into its side as hard as she could (which wasn't very hard given the flimsy shoes she had to wear). The horse whined but took off, catching Ganondorf off guard.

Link didn't waste time checking to see if he was tailing her- she knew enough that he was. This castle horse wasn't as swift as Epona but it followed commands well, jumping over rocks and smoothly taking gaps. She weaved through the fields and was nearing the edge of Eldin Province, when she heard a roar from her side.

Ganondorf appeared, having anticipated her destination and taken a shortcut. He urged Vengeance up alongside Link and dove at her, knocking her from the horse and sending them both crashing to the ground. They rolled a bit before he came to rest on top of her.

"You..." Link put up a struggle but he grabbed her wrists, restraining her. His chest heaved, and emotion flared on his face. "If you wanted a race, you only had to ask."

Link gasped from the dismount, unable to steady her breathing. Ganondorf had a strong grip on her wrists, and pressure on the recently healed bones caused her to cringe. His full weight bore down on her, and while she normally didn't think of herself as fragile, she felt like a china doll trapped beneath a rock. The look on his face startled her most though. She expected anger, but this wasn't quite it. He was almost... thrilled.

"Heh, what, are you afraid of something? Retaliation?" Ganondorf kept a hold of her wrists in one hand, and used the other to cup her cheek. "Truth be told, I expect no less from the bearer of Courage." Without giving Link enough time to react, he leaned down and laid a firm kiss at the base of her neck.

Link mewled as the Gerudo bit and sucked at her collarbone. There were times during her vocal training that he would caress her ears or hold her on his lap, but this was the first he had done something so intimate. She wiggled as he made his way around her neck, and let out a heavy sigh once he finally let go.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" he smirked, sitting back up and pulling her into his lap. "I will say, though, I'm disappointed you tried to go back on your promise. You said you would obey me."

_I did...?_

"Either way, what were you trying to gain from this? You know I could have easily tracked you down." Ganondorf whistled at Vengeance, who came and laid down behind them. He then leaned back against the horse with Link in his lap. "What did you want that I haven't been providing to you?"

"...to see home again..." Link mumbled, defeated. She had been so close, her failure hurt so much more. The setting sun dropped the temperature, and she shivered, instinctively leaning into Ganondorf for warmth. He removed his cape and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"If you miss your home that much, I will allow your friends to visit you in Castle Town. But you can not go back to Ordon- your home is the castle now and I will have you stay with me. You made a deal, you mustn't go back on your word."

Link kept silent, dejected. That's right, she had promised to accept her defeat. Ganondorf had done his part by treating the Hylians fairly and had even made peace with other countries. All Link had cared about was herself. She pulled her knees to her chest and leaned against him, wanting desperately to disappear. The slightest of tears came to her eyes, and within minutes exhaustion caught up with her.

* * *

When Link opened her eyes, she was back in Hyrule Castle. But instead of the plain wall she usually saw, there were thick black curtains blocking her view. She was in an unfamiliar bed, but it only took her a second to realize whose it was. Ganondorf was next to her, facing the edge. There was enough room for two people between them, but it didn't calm her anxiety.

"Your concerns are unwarranted Hero, I did not dishonor you." Ganondorf rolled over to face her, reading the confusion on her face. "You looked troubled in your sleep, and didn't want left alone."

"Mad?"

"No, I'm not mad at you. I've treated you like a bird in a cage, no wonder you wanted to fly away. I want to make you into a formidable warrior, yet at the same time I try to clip your wings." Ganondorf got out of bed and opened the curtains, letting Link see that it was afternoon. "Stay in bed for the rest of the day, I'm sure tackling you from that horse has left you rather sore. I left some stationery on the nightstand there, use it to summon your friends and I'll allow you to meet them in town unsupervised. I'll even let you wear boyish clothing."

Link couldn't help smiling, and sat up to draft her letter. Ganondorf moved to leave, before stopping in the doorway.

"One thing, though."

She turned back to him, and watched as he pointed to her neck.

"Keep **that** uncovered."

Link cocked her head in confusion, and grabbed the hand mirror off the nightstand. She gasped and her cheeks flushed when she saw what he meant- there was a large, purple love bite at the base of her neck.

Ganondorf reacted with a hearty laugh. "After all, I have to let people know that such a beauty has already been claimed."

* * *

**A/N: Heh, sorry for being a pathetic romantic, but I really wanted Ganny to show off a little. He really strikes me as the type that would chomp all over his lovers, especially when he has that wild hair. *swoon* Anyway, the story Link is reading is actually the first paragraph of my Zelda/Ganondorf Beauty and the Beast fic.**


	8. Baby Goats

A/N: Sorry if this one seems all over the place. I came up with the reunion scene during my commute to work, but I suck at framing devices so I just kind of threw it in there. ^^;

* * *

Link sat in a stable near the west Castle Town gate, hugging a baby goat and staring at the crowd in the town square. It had been three months since Ganondorf came to power, but he kept his word. Life continued as it did before, and the people slowly accepted their new king. The only thing that had changed was the addition of Gerudo to the royal guard, which generated a lot of mixed conversation from the townsfolk.

Ganondorf continued with Link's rehabilitation, moving beyond the mental aspect into the physical. Her latest drill was archery practice with the guard, something she actually enjoyed. The bow she found while helping the Gorons was a forty pound draw weight, but she discovered that she now had trouble holding it steady. Switching arms helped, but she had to drop the draw weight until her body adjusted. The last few days were tough, but it made this day of rest all the more enjoyable.

Link was allowed to go into town unsupervised, but Ganondorf insisted that she continue dressing as a woman. So, she sat in the goat pen wearing a plain celadon dress. She was not allowed to cut or cover her hair, either, so she pulled it back into a short ponytail. In a way she was grateful for the rules, because if she covered her hand, no one in town would recognize her as the Hero of Light.

She hadn't been very chummy with the townsfolk before her journey, but there were a few people she didn't want to see her as a woman. The rupee hoarding Purlo, her friends at the bar, the doctor... Link knew they probably wouldn't care, and the reaction from Purlo would probably be golden. But she still wasn't ready to come clean. Even though the result hadn't been as catastrophic as could have been, she still failed her mission. On top of that, she was now living with the man she had been destined to defeat.

The baby goat started bleating, and Link laughed as it climbed onto her shoulders. It jumped down and wobbled around in the hay, then nipped at the grain in her palm. Link smiled sadly, remembering how she fed Epona in a similar way. Ganondorf had promised to find her horse call, but she never got it. It was a gift from Ilia and meant a lot to her, and also reminded her of home.

Since she couldn't go back to Ordon Village, Link had decided to come clean to Rusl and Ilia, and a month ago wrote a letter asking to meet in front of the castle gate. She remembered how she sat at the gate nervously, until she saw a pair of green eyes heading cautiously in her direction.

"Link...?"

A nod and a smile later, the friends were hugging each other. "Are you okay? We thought you were gone," Ilia mumbled, and turned to inspect her friend. Ganondorf allowed her to wear a shirt and pants, but they hung loosely from her shoulders. "You look thin, are you eating well? And your hair is longer. Have you given up living as a boy?"

"I have to," Link explained. "For everyone..."

"You've always been selfless, Link. I have no doubt that this peace is because of you, " Rusl exclaimed, having walked up in the middle of the girls' conversation. His son Colin followed, making Link's eyes grow wide. She didn't expect Colin to come along, and wasn't ready to come out to him. Hiding her face, she ducked behind Ilia and prayed that Colin didn't hear what Ilia had said.

Rusl noticed, and turned to his son. "Colin, you love Link, right?"

"Right! Link's my hero!"

"And nothing will change that, right?"

"Of course!" Colin had clearly grown after his ordeal, and now wore a sword and shield on his back. "I don't care that Link couldn't stop the castle from being taken over. Everybody's happy now, so that's what matters."

"Then Colin, Link has something to say to you." Rusl motioned for Link to come forward. Link sighed, and stepped from behind Ilia.

"Sorry Colin," Link began, "but I'm..."

"A girl?" Colin guessed, surprised at the high voice. But he shook off the surprise. "...So? I don't care if you're a girl. I mean, I did always wonder why you wouldn't go swimming with me..." The three adults laughed, and Link hugged the little boy. The group chatted back and forth, filling each other in about what they missed. Colin wouldn't stop talking about his new sister, and Ilia wouldn't stop asking questions about Epona.

Link's recollections made her sad, but she perked up and started giggling when she realized the baby goat had eaten both the grain and the gauze she used to cover her birthmark. Link had to confess to Ilia what had happened. After reeling from a shouting, Link assured her there was noting to worry about. Zelda was likely taking good care of Epona. There had been no word on the princess's fate, but she was safe since Ganondorf was not pursuing her.

The clock tower rang for noon, and Link petted the goats goodbye. Ganondorf usually wanted her to dine with him, and she didn't want to make him angry. He had been extremely kind to her for someone who was supposed to be a prisoner, and the least she could do was return the favor.

"What do we have here?"

Link stopped in her tracks when four young men blocked the road. One of them came forth, forcing her back as the others encircled her. "Aren't you a cute one. What's your name?" Link tried to ignore the men blocking her way. They smelled like they had spent the entire night swimming in liquor. "Silent type, huh? I like that."

"You're in my way," she mumbled, trying to snake past when one of them grabbed her left arm. "What's this? The mark of the Goddesses is on your hand. Wait a minute, I've seen this before, on a kid in the bar that night the fish showed up. That kid was supposed to be our hero." The drunkard tightened his grip on Link, but she had enough and kicked his shin. While he yelped, one of his friends grabbed Link by the shoulders.

"Hero, huh? Then that means you're the reason we're being oppressed. You pretended to be a boy and deceived the princess! Now you're cozying up to the bastard who stole her throne instead of fighting. What a waste of the divine gift! We should kill her so the gift is passed to someone who will use it."

Link scowled, and threw the man off her. _Resistance members? I thought those people gave up. _There had been an underground resistance movement around the time Ganondorf came into power, but it was different than the group Rusl belonged to. Rusl's group were hesitant at first to accept Ganondorf, but they waited it out. The members of this new group were violent, and didn't care that Ganondorf was benevolent. They wanted blood.

Link knew fighting with inebriated people was dangerous. But they had her cornered, and she had none of her equipment with her. If she didn't fight back, they could easily overwhelm her. If they were in an open space, she could use their imbalance against them, but there was no wiggle room here.

"You're wrong," she argued, though her voice didn't seem to carry over the lunchtime crowd. She easily dodged a drunken punch, but was driven further into the dark corner. The leader then pulled a knife from his pocket. "You bitch, this will teach you to betray our princess!" Link backed away, but tripped on the hem of her dress and fell over. Kicking at them didn't keep them from advancing, and she had nothing to use as a weapon. _I'll just have to try and catch the blade._ She tried to calm her nerves, and readied her trembling hand. _I just hope this weak hand is fast enough..._

But another hand was quicker than hers, and yanked the thugs out from the crevice to slam them into the street. A group of soldiers restrained the thugs, while their commander turned back to Link.

"You were late for lunch."

Link sighed in relief- it was Ganondorf. He knelt and helped her up. Her breathing calmed down, and she stopped shaking. "...I'da gotten them on my own," she mumbled, and walked with him back to the road.

"What do you want me to do to them?" Ganondorf asked after smacking the ringleader across the face. "They should be punished in the most humiliating way possible, but I won't do anything you don't like."

Link thought it over, and came to a decision. "Let them go. No bloodshed..." She squeezed his arm, motioning toward the castle. Ganondorf nodded, and turned to his guards. "Drag them out to the square and let people know what they've done. That will be punishment enough."


	9. The Present

**A/N: Some clarification on the title. It's meant to apply to both Link and Ganondorf, and how they're perceived by each other and those around them. TBH I have a problem coming up with titles for in-progress works, since I prefer to name a work after I've finished and seen where the narrative went. That's probably why this one is just called "femlink" on my drive. ;)**

* * *

In the field south of Castle Town, a picnic blanket was set out in the flower fields. Atop the blanket, a golden haired girl in a celadon dress lay across the lap of a man with red hair and bronze skin. The man held the girl's hand and twirled a finger in her hair, and anyone who walked past would mistake them for newlyweds.

"I have a present for you, Link."

Link raised her eyebrows. It wasn't uncommon for Ganondorf to give her presents, but he almost never called her by name. He was pretty dramatic, and liked to call her such things as pet, pumpkin, hero, etc. Almost every night, he came to her room with dresses, books, jewelry, or perfume, though he usually passed them off as items relevant to her rehabilitation. It didn't take her long to figure out the truth.

But Link's biggest problem was that she didn't know how to react. She knew nothing of love or intimacy, only that her body heated up every time Ganondorf touched her. He liked to touch her, and she was starting to like it herself. He was gentle, always rubbing her shoulders and ears after finishing the day's exercises. Sometimes he nibbled on her earlobes, but that was as far as he'd ever gone. Ganondorf had yet to sincerely kiss her.

She thought about her own feelings for him. He did bother her a lot, waking her up early and usually keeping her busy until the sun set. But her evenings were her own, and he never insulted her for making a mistake. In a way, he was like the Spirit of the Hero that taught Link along her journey.

There was also his appearance. Gerudo were exotic to begin with, but no living Hylian had ever seen a male before Ganondorf came along. Link found him interesting- he was huge, yet his features weren't distorted like the other giant men she'd met. She didn't really like beards, but the combination of red hair and bronze skin was too appealing to ignore.

"I think you'll be pleased, though it's nothing spectacular," Ganondorf boasted about his gift. "But, it will most definitely perk you up after the horrible morning you've had. Are you ready for your present?"

_What could he give me that he hasn't already_? Link thought, but sat up and nodded anyway. She watched the Gerudo pull a scarf from his pocket and hand it to her. "...Some present," she mused, causing Ganondorf to burst into laughter. He grabbed her and kissed her forehead, smiling and giggling like she'd never seen before. It was infectious, and Link found herself giggling as well.

"You never cease to amaze me," Ganondorf said once he regained his composure. He was extremely proud of her. She had started speaking more often since the vocal training began, but because impromptu comments were hard to teach, he didn't expect to hear one naturally. "You'll get your present when you put on the blindfold, love."

Link followed the instructions out of curiosity. She heard Ganondorf leave, but a few moments later he came back and turned her around. "Ready? Open your eyes." Link slowly slid the blindfold off, bracing for the worst. But instead she got the best. Standing across from her was the one thing she never thought she'd see again- Epona.

Link gasped and ran over to the horse. Epona was equally happy to see her, and the two nuzzled their heads together. Her mane was a little dirty and her hooves needed some care, but she was otherwise healthy. Link teared up as she hugged her friend. "Where?"

"It wasn't easy, let me tell you, but I found her in the old Kakariko Village," Ganondorf motioned toward the place where Link unlocked Ilia's memory. "I had a feeling that Zelda might hide there, but I was in no hurry to pursue her until you asked for your horse call. So that was the first place I looked, though there was no sign of the princess. It took a while, but eventually the horse showed up, along with a... curious looking Sheikah. He said he found the horse, and agreed to give her to me after I told him how much you missed her."

Ganondorf smirked. The Sheikah were all but extinct, so the appearance of a healthy young male raised suspicion. Especially when he showed up with the horse last seen carrying the princess away. But Ganondorf didn't let on that saw through Zelda's disguise. All he wanted at the moment was the horse.

The king leaned back against the castle rampart, and watched as Link started brushing Epona. He had never seen the girl happier as she tended to the mare. Link was first and foremost a rancher, and took pride in her abilities. She buzzed around, giving the horse an inspection that would make Ilia proud. She then came over to Ganondorf and handed him the reigns with a smile. He held Epona still while Link cleaned her feet, and in no time a show ready horse stood before them.

Link wasted no time in trying to mount the horse. She skipped the saddle and instead fought with her dress, trying to hike it up enough to jump atop Epona. After tying it into a manageable position, she jumped on the horse and took off around the field.

She rode the horse around for an hour, stopping when she noticed Aveil running down the steps to speak with Ganondorf. Even from the distance, she could tell he wasn't pleased. He marched over to her cursing, and she quickly dismounted.

"Retack your horse. We're going to Gerudo Valley."


	10. Gerudo Valley

**A/N: I wanted to have the Gerudo speak their own language, but because I work 10 hour days, I didn't have time to make one up. But I really wanted to have some Gerudospeak, so I used the only other language I know, Japanese. But they're not speaking Japanese in the story, they're speaking Gerudo! If I get time in the future, I'll try to come up with my own. Sorry if people get confused. But I guess it's a bonus for those who understand? There's just one line here but there will be more in the future. orz ^^;**

* * *

The sun was setting over the Lanayru Province, and the lake was bathed in a beautiful auburn. Ganondorf led Link to an obscured path just north of the Great Bridge. Link had never noticed this path in all the times she crossed through, and it wasn't on any map.

"This is the path we will take into the desert," Ganondorf explained. "After your king ordered my execution, the road was destroyed. But we Gerudo are not so easily hindered by blocked roads, and have built a path into the rubble. Your horse should be able to jump this wall." He demonstrated with his stallion.

The rock wall was slightly taller than Link, and that worried her. Epona was a good jumper, but these were rocks. One miscalculation would not only hurt the horse, but possibly kill Link. She looked to Epona as if to ask her opinion, and Epona neighed with confidence. _All right, girl. You've never steered me wrong before._

Link lead Epona back as far as possible, and after catching her breath, she urged the horse forward. Epona bound forth and took the wall gracefully, landing down in a patch of weeds. Link sighed with relief. _Good girl._ She looked ahead- the path was narrow, but it continued past the horizon. It was understandable how she missed it in the past.

"Well done. Now come, we need to reach the Valley before the sun sets." Ganondorf took off to the west, and Link followed. The sun was just above the horizon, allowing for at most another hour of light. She remembered how cold it was the night she came to the Gerudo Desert for the first time, and didn't like the idea of repeating the experience.

After about a half hour of riding, the pair came upon a large gate manned by two Gerudo guards. The one in front saw them approach, and shouted up to the one controlling the opening mechanism.

"It's the King! Open it!"

Beyond the gate was a large fortress. It wasn't grand in any sense, but it was solidly built and weathered the desert storms well. Ganondorf dismounted in front of the center entrance, handing the stallion's reigns to an old woman who came out to greet him.

"Welcome home, young master. Your haste in returning is greatly appreciated." The old woman's gaze shifted to Link, who had dismounted but still held Epona's lead. "And I see you've brought a guest?"

Link was unbelievably nervous. All the Gerudo they passed stopped to stare at her, some of them even whispering in their language. She understood why, after all Hylians were their mortal enemies, and she did try to kill their leader.

"This is Link, chosen by the Goddesses to wield the Triforce of Courage. She has come with me not only to help me solve our problem, but also to learn from you. Treat her as one of your own," Ganondorf commanded to the crowd. He turned to Link, and instructed her to leave Epona with the woman. "Don't worry, Isolde here is good with horses."

The Gerudo king pressed on into the fortress, and Link hurried after. She was hesitant to leave Epona with the old woman, but Epona didn't seem to mind. In fact, Epona was getting along really well with Ganondorf's stallion and wanted to go with him. _I hope that woman puts them in separate stalls_, Link said to herself, remembering how feisty Fado's stallions were.

Link followed Ganondorf into a strategy room, where several heavily armored Gerudo stood around a map of the desert. They stopped what they were doing to acknowledge their king, but immediately returned to the map. It was a map of the Arbiter's Grounds, though there were several entrances marked that Link was not familiar with.

"Where is it coming from, Kona?" Ganondorf asked the most heavily decorated guard. She pointed to the room where Link fought the ghostly Death Sword. She then removed her helmet, revealing a long scar atop a blind eye.

"It looks like the demon is coming from this room, though it's not the same as the ones we've sealed before." Kona then realized that Ganondorf was not alone, and stared down Link. She slipped into the Gerudo native tongue to add, "_Koitsu ha? Naze Hairiajin ga iru?_"

"Speak in the common language when she's around," Ganondorf ordered, noting Link's confusion. "She asked who you were. Tell her."

"...Link." Link held out her hand, meaning to shake with Kona. Instead, Kona grabbed it and studied the birthmark. "The Triforce, huh? That makes you a formidable warrior, then. Forgive my rudeness, and the rudeness of my kin. We just have trouble looking beyond the oppression of Hylians past. You are here to help us, then? Did My Lord tell you what has happened?"

"There is an evil presence coming from the temple, and it has already taken the lives of ten of my kin," Ganondorf explained with a scowl. "It's not something from the Twilight Realm. At least, not the Twilight Realm I know. I'm concerned that if we don't stop it here, it could spread to the rest of Hyrule."

"If it were to spread, the first target would probably be the Peak province." Kona pointed to the Snowpeak Ruins, then traced her finger down to Hyrule Field. "Next I would guess Castle Town, Kakariko, and the forest."

"And Ordon..." Link frowned. She didn't need to hear any more. She was a little overwhelmed by the sudden rush of information, but Kona's words hit home. Ordon was defenseless, so whatever this menace was, she was determined to fight it.

Ganondorf stayed silent, noting the concern on her face. "Kona, you've been fighting since this morning correct? Escort Link to my bedroom, then retire to your own. This thing thrives at night, so there's nothing we can do until the sun rises." He noted the exhaustion on both women's faces, one from war and one from overstimulation. "I'd like you both to be in top shape for tomorrow morning. And Link..." He pulled the Hylian close and kissed her forehead, eliciting a soft mewl from her and several whispers from the guards. "You will be pushed hard in the coming days, so sleep well."

Link followed Kona through the Gerudo Fortress, ending up at a large room overlooking the entire compound. "This is our leader's room," Kona said, lighting a lamp near the door and pressing inside. "Sorry if it seems dark and gloomy, no one's had time to redecorate. Though I suppose you're used to his aesthetic by now."

"No, castle is the same. No change," Link muttered. Ganondorf did change a lot of things when he came into power, but the castle was not one of them. He probably kept it that way for the sake of earning the people's trust. The only place he changed was the rear pavilion, and for a good reason.

During the fight with Zant, Link and Midna were warped to the castle. Zant managed to get the upper hand and spun his blades around Link several times, slicing through her chain mail and cutting her up like a turkey. Even through all her ordeals, Link had never been in such pain. When Ganondorf brought Link to the pavilion for shield training, the pain came back and made Link lock up. He deduced why when he saw her grab at the scars on her stomach, and quickly had the pavilion demolished.

Thinking of it made Link shudder, so she desperately changed the subject. "Your eye, from the demon?" Kona nodded as she changed the dusty bedsheets. "From a demon, but not the one we're faced with now. This came from the hellish sword that used to be confined in the temple. You defeated it, correct? That's why the king brought you here."

Kona sat down on the fresh sheets. "You probably don't realize this, but Lord Ganondorf is a sharp strategist. To many, his plans seem erratic. But they make sense when you consider the end goal. Sit over here, kid." Link came over and sat beside the woman, and next thing she knew, her hair was being pulled. Link yelped, before realizing that Kona wasn't doing it to be mean. There were several burrs stuck in her hair.

"You really shouldn't be traveling through the desert wearing that," she commented on Link's dress, now soiled from the day's ride. Walking over to a large dresser, Kona returned with a bundle of clothing. "You can have these. They're his clothes from when the king was a teen, so they're going to be big, but at least they're closer to your size. Why were you wearing that dress, anyway? Weren't you concerned about chafing your legs?"

She was nervous discussing such things with a stranger, but Link decided to come clean about her past. When Kona heard it, she started laughing. "Ha! Leave it to the simple minded Hylians to declare a woman unfit to be their savior. So you lived your entire life as a boy? Must have been tough. I mean, a girl's teen years are the best for sexual exploration."

Link's face turned red, making the soldier even more hysterical. "Don't tell me, you haven't done it yet? Not even by yourself? Holy shit, Ganondorf has more self-restraint than I thought... Make sure you tell me all the details when it finally happens. I know Aveil and Joleni have done it with him, but they won't tell me a thing."

The red-faced Hylian jumped off the bed and ran over to the corner. The conversation took a weird turn, and it made her uncomfortable. She knew Kona was talking about sex, but sex by yourself? You can't make a baby by yourself. And Kona mentioned Aveil... Was Ganondorf courting Link during the day only to turn around and embrace his servant at night? It made her so frustrated that she punched the wall, then recoiled in pain from the hard stone on her weakened wrist.

"Hey, kid, I didn't mean to upset you." Kona apologized and came over to inspect Link's hand. "How old are you, twenty? Twenty one?"

"...Eighteen."

"Ah, okay. You're still a baby, then, I shouldn't tease you." Kona pulled Link out of the corner and studied her frame. "You're built for archery, just not in that ridiculous dress. I can tell you handle a sword well, and you even have skill with unusual weaponry. But you're also visually attractive in an unconventional sense, even with boyish mannerisms. I'll bet that's why the king is making you dress femininely, he wants to show you off. He's always loved fancy clothing, probably because we Gerudo tend to wear just pants and a sarashi or halter to hold up breasts. But he's a man, of course, so he doesn't realize how constricting some clothing can be." The two chuckled together, before Kona excused herself. It was getting late, and she could tell the Hylian was exhausted. She bid Link good night, and soon Link was alone in the giant bedroom.

Link rooted around through the bag of Ganondorf's old clothing, finding an undershirt and drawstring pants that covered her sufficiently. She crawled into the large bed, too exhausted to even blow out the candles. In moments she was asleep, and didn't hear the door creaking open.


	11. Training

**A/N: I realized I never mentioned it before, but the italics are thoughts. Usually Link's.**

* * *

"I can't wait to get married so I can have my own children," Ilia said, squeezing her doll baby and rocking it back and forth. "You have to get married before you can have children. What about you, Link? Do you want to get married?"

_What? I can't get married and you know that._

The little blonde bearing the mark of the goddesses shook her head with a smile, and let out a single word. "Can't."

"Oh, that's right," Ilia said. "But you'll be able to tell everybody you're a girl someday, right? You can get married then. Maybe we'll get married together. We can have matching weddings!"

_You're only seven years old, why are you talking about marriage?_

Link shrugged and picked up her toy sword, while Ilia kept rambling about her dream man. "I want to marry someone nice. There aren't many boys here, though. Colin and Talo are babies, and Fado is old and gross. Besides, I like a certain kind of boy. Light hair, same height as me, clumsy but kind. What kind of man do you like?"

_Brave... Not afraid to defend those he loves from danger._

"Brave."

"Wooow. So you want a warrior then? Hee hee. What kind of voice?"

_Commanding and deep, but not too low._

"Deep."

Ilia's eyebrows raised. "Mysterious, huh? What kind of body? I don't want somebody as big as my dad, that's probably why I want a skinny guy."

_Definitely larger than me. I've had to save and protect others all my life, so I just want someone to cradle me, to comfort me when I am vulnerable._

"Strong."

"Sounds great. I hope you find someone like that. You're pretty, so I'm sure you'll get what you want. Just start acting like a girl!" Ilia hugged Link, and went back to playing with her doll.

_I remember this... Ilia used to ask me about my interests in men. What did I tell her, 'brave, deep voice, tall, dark, and strong?'_

_Wait... I know someone like that. He's not exactly upstanding, and he can be demanding. But he takes care of me, and I can be myself more than I could in the village. He even gave me back my best friend._

_Maybe what Kona said made me mad for a reason... Maybe I... like Ga... _

The chime signaling sunrise rang out through the fortress, stirring Link out of her dreams. She grumbled and squeezed the pillow in her arms tighter, trying to will the noise away. It was a comfy and warm pillow, and she buried her face in deep. But then the pillow pulled her in tighter.

Link yelped and jumped backward, nearly rolling off the edge of the bed. The 'pillow' caught her and pulled her in, chuckling with a familiar baritone. She then realized that she was sleeping nuzzled against Ganondorf.

"No need to wake just yet, my pumpkin," he whispered, running his fingers through her bangs. Link wiggled against the man's bare chest. "Stay with me. We may not get quality time like this again for a while." His voice was somber and his gaze drifted, the weight of the coming battle on his mind.

The two laid together in silence until the sun shone brightly through the window. Ganondorf finally sat up, but immediately leaned back down over Link. "Listen to what I have to say well, Link."

Something in his eyes burned with a passion. Link's eyes opened wide, and she gave the man her whole attention. "This menace is dangerous, and I will not expose you to him until you've learned all you can from my people. You are skilled beyond belief, but the desert is harsh and unforgiving. Put your all into absorbing their technique, so that if need be, we can take this demon out together. Do this for me, and when all is right, I will make it up to you with whatever you desire. Do you understand?"

The Gerudo king frowned at Link, waiting for a reply. But instead, a pair of small hands reached up and gently grabbed his head. Link put her thumbs on his eyebrows and lifted them up out of a scowl, just like her mother used to do. Link had done it on impulse, as if it was her way of telling him that everything would be okay.

Ganondorf was touched by this simple gesture, and smiled down at Link. Her cheeks were reddened from slight embarrassment, but her big blue eyes lit up her face, recalling the innocence that drew him in from the beginning. It was too much for the king to handle, and without a word, he leaned in and let their lips meet.

"Mmm!" Link was surprised, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. Ganondorf wasn't overbearing; he was forceful but not so much that she couldn't get away. His hands slid along her head and chest, caressing her and sending her body temperature through the roof. She moaned when he tugged her ear, and he used the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth.

The muscle gliding along her teeth made Link shiver. She wasn't sure how to react, but something inside told her to touch it with her own. Ganondorf's taste was exotic, like cinnamon with a touch of mint. She wanted to taste it more, so she sucked on the Gerudo's lips.

Ganondorf responded by gripping Link's waist, sliding his hands up under her shirt and caressing up to her shoulders. He took in the feel of her skin, wanting nothing more than to rip her clothing away and take her this very second. But it was neither time nor place for that- he knew she wasn't ready to go that far, and the demon terrorizing the valley left no time for play.

"...That's enough for now," he said as he released Link's mouth, giving the girl a pained look. "We have to stop this menace."

Link watched Ganondorf prepare his armor, and as he did, he motioned to a box at the foot of the bed. She crawled over and opened it, finding her old equipment inside. There was one noticeable piece missing, the most important item of all.

"My sword?"

"I have instructed Kona to take over your training," Ganondorf answered, seemingly ignoring the question. "She is an excellent warrior, and I think it would be best to have her teach you. I'll take over the battle efforts."

"Where is my sword?" Link asked again, this time visibly agitated. "It can help. Repels evil."

Ganondorf sighed. "You think I don't know that? Your sword is wherever you left it, I wasn't burning my hand to retrieve it. Now get dressed, I'm going to get Kona."

Link waited until he left to get dressed, before pounding a fist on the bed. _The Master Sword must be in Hyrule Field somewhere... I just hope it didn't fall in a chasm_. She perked up a little at her familiar green tunic, but her frown returned when she noticed the bloodstains around the collar and abdomen. _It's almost brown instead of green..._ She tied her breasts up as normal for support, but skipped the chest pillow. Just as she finished dressing, there was a knock at the door.

"Coming in, ready or not," Kona announced and pushed the door open, in time to see Link shoving her hair in the hat. "Wow, looks like a warrior. But your tunic is a little ratty... Remind me when we're done to have some fabric sent up for a new one. Okay, you have your bow? Come with me, then."

* * *

Link stumbled back to the bedroom, exhausted from twelve hours of archery training. Despite the physical strain, most of it was actually entertaining. She learned how to make a type of paralytic arrowhead known as the "Gerudo ice arrow", as well as better aiming techniques when riding on horseback. Her wrist hurt at the start, but the feeling gradually dissipated so long as she shot with her opposite hand. Link's accuracy was as sharp as ever, and she impressed the Gerudo by hitting a far target without the Hawkeye.

She hadn't seen Ganondorf all day, as he apparently went to the Arbiter's Grounds to investigate. His horse was not in the stable when she brought Epona back, so she debated waiting to eat until he returned. The decision was made for her, however, when she conked out over the dinner table.

* * *

_It's been a week... Where is he?_

Link was starting to get worried. The other Gerudo seemed confident that their king was working to eradicate the mysterious demon, but Link couldn't shake her intuition. Ganondorf had the Triforce of Power, so there's no way he would take a whole week to kill a single demon, no matter how powerful. Link had a piece of the Triforce as well, and it took him only a matter of hours to subdue her.

"I'm going after him," she announced in the middle of her magic spell training.

"Uh, I don't think so," Kona interjected. "You've only had archery and magic lessons so far, and that wrist of yours isn't strong enough to fight with. Are you confident enough to wield a sword with your right hand?"

"He might be in trouble. Have to help." Kona watched as Link gathered her equipment and buckled one of the Gerudo sabers to her back. She really wanted to try and find the Master Sword, but there was no time to waste. "Kona, help me?"

"You want me to come along?"

"No. Find my sword. Dropped in Eldin field. Might need it." Link had greatly improved her conversational skills, but she tended to drop subjects when she was flustered. Kona read the look on the Hylian's face as one of determination and compassion, and understood immediately why the king was so taken with her.

"All right, I'll look for it. Be careful kid, and remember what I've taught you today. There are countless spectres in the Arbiter's Grounds, some immune to weaponry."

Link nodded, and ran for the stable. _There's nothing to worry about. He's probably just taking his time torturing the demon. I'll get there and it'll all be over. He'll just laugh and embrace... Wait, that's not what I meant! He'll __**scold**__ me. Geez, I sound like some little girl._

_Just don't be dead, Ganondorf. Some people need you..._


	12. The Temple

**A/N: Sorry if this seems a little sparse... I wanted some action but at the same time I have trouble writing action scenes.**

* * *

Link tiptoed through the main hall of the temple, relieved that her double clawshot made navigating the foyer easier than the last time she came through. There were still many traps, however, and she had to be careful or else a spike would take off her foot. _I wish I still had the map I used to mark the traps in this place._

The way to the Death Sword's chamber was easy to find, all Link needed to do was follow the freshest blood trails. She reached her destination, and braced herself for what might be inside. One deep breath later, she shoved the door open.

Nothing. A great amount of blood covered the walls and floor of Death Sword's chamber, but there was no sign of the demon or the Gerudo king. Link scanned the room three times to make sure, and the only thing out of the ordinary was an unfamiliar door. _That's got to be where it's coming from._ She reached out to lift up the door, when a falling portcullis nearly took off her fingers.

"HRRRRRRRRRGH!"

Link rolled away in time to avoid a rusty sword, but not in time to counter with a blow of her own. Getting her bearings, she faced her attacker. A stalfos twice the size of any she'd ever met charged at her, and she had to think up a strategy quick. She noticed a chunk missing from one of its vertebrae, and dug in her bag for a bomb. She looked away for only an instant to find it, but that was enough for the stalfos to strike. It swung, and Link got caught on the end of its blade.

"Argh!" she screamed as blood poured from her shoulder, a fraction too late to block with her shield. But she got the upper hand, finding the bomb and shoving it up the monster's ribcage. A few seconds later it went off, shattering the skeleton but also flinging Link into the wall.

_Thank the Goddesses_. Link stumbled to her feet, reeling from blood loss. She reached in her bag again, but this time met with even more pain- the potion bottle she had been reaching for was shattered. _Work through it, work through it..._

But the pain was much harder to ignore than Link thought. She got the portcullis and door open, but three steps later collapsed to the floor. _No, I can't fall here. The Gerudo are counting on me to help them. __**He's**__ counting on me to help..._

* * *

"You look beat, kid."

Link fluttered her eyes, trying to reorient herself. The rotten stench of spilt blood filling her nose and her aching shoulder reminded her what happened, and she realized she had passed out and was still lying on the ground. She picked up her head just enough to see two figures approaching. One she recognized immediately as the voice's owner. "Ko...na." Eldin field was at least a day's ride there and back, so either Kona rode like a demon, or Link was out a whole day.

"Here, kid. Gulp this down," Kona instructed, pressing a bottle to Link's face. Link immediately recognized it as blue Chu Jelly, one of her least favorite tastes. But it was a cure-all, and she had no desire to refuse it. She swallowed the fluid, and immediately felt her pain disappear. Rising to her feet, she stared at the one accompanying the Gerudo.

It was a young man, covered head to toe with blue denim and white cloth bandages, except for his head where wisps of blond hair stuck out from under a skullcap. He stared judgementally with red eyes at Link, before pulling something from his back. "You'll need this, Hero."

The man threw an oblong object at Link, almost too quick for her to react. But she caught it, and immediately smirked. The Master Sword, in all its glory, was returned to her at last. She mouthed a thank you before tying it on her back.

"Good thing this _okama_ was nearby, when I touched the sword it stung a little," Kona said, motioning to the mystery man. He snorted in response, aware of her stealthy insult. "That's because it doesn't want to be wielded by someone like you. The Master Sword is a living relic, and it chooses its master based on their courage and strength. It knows if its master is still alive, and refuses to be obedient to anyone else until its master releases the bond."

"Then why'd it trust you, _kusomajime_?" Kona hissed.

"Because it knew I would only transport it to its master. For all it knew, you were just another sand rat come to plague Hyrule."

"Quiet!" Link didn't have time to watch Kona and the young man argue. "Have to help Ganondorf. Argue later." She looked at the man, and wondered something. "Are you Sheikah?"

"That's correct. You may call me Sheik. Though I do not support the man who has taken the throne, I wish to offer my aid. This threat goes beyond bureaucracy." Sheik made a slight bow, before pulling out a pair of kunai. "I may not be as skilled at combat as you, Link, but I have good aim."

_This must be the one who returned Epona._ Link accepted Sheik's help, and the three proceeded down the new hallway. "This is as far as my troops got," Kona explained as she lit a lamp. "I knew the door was there, but something kept us out. His Excellency must have broken the barrier it made."

Sheik studied the walls, noting a number of gouges and claw marks. "Something was indeed imprisoned here long ago. Perhaps it drew a fraction of the reanimation power Zant used to stop Link from reaching the Mirror of Twilight, and became something worse."

The hero cringed, and reflexively grabbed at her tailbone. _That damned Stallord... _She had fallen from the spinner tracks on the column several times while trying to defeat it, and went through several potions to repair her broken bones. "Could be. There were lotsa zombies."

The chamber soon split into two paths, neither of which Kona had on her map. "Well, kid, now what? I can't sense His Excellency down either one." Both had a large amount of bloodstains on their floors, and noises could be heard from either direction.

"The best option would be to split up," Sheik announced after staring down the two roads. "Link has the benefit of the Master Sword, and can cut down any obstacle. So let's let him decide which path to take. We then shall take the other."

_Him?_

"I'm not a boy," Link declared. Spending time amongst the Gerudo had definitely affected her opinions. She used to think that if she came out to other warriors, they would blame all her limitations on her gender instead of being supportive; or worse, tell her to "be careful" or not to overexert herself. But no one had done that. Instead the Gerudo let Link judge her own strength and never chided her for being unable to do something. She was finally starting to feel like she didn't need to pretend anymore.

Sheik stared at Link, the mask around his face hiding his full expression. "Interesting. But conversation for another time. Choose the path."


	13. Demon

**A/N: There will be violence in this chapter! You have been warned!**

* * *

_There's something about Sheik that throws me off... But at least he's here to help,_ Link thought to herself as she went deeper into the dark tunnel. The air was getting heavier, though surprisingly it wasn't getting darker. No, it was getting lighter. Link drew her sword as an open door came into view. Peering beyond, she could see scores of bones lining the floor of a large round chamber. And right in the middle was a black lump.

"Ganondorf!"

Link ran over, and rolled him onto his back. It was indeed Ganondorf, lying still as a corpse.

"Hey, Ganondorf? Ganondorf!" She shook him a few times, unable to wake him up. She could tell he was breathing, and he didn't seem to have any injuries. But there was an aura about him, and it was enough to worry her.

"Get up!" Link yelled, and pounded her fist on his chest. Suddenly, Ganondorf's eyes sprang open, coaxing a relieved sigh out of the hero. But the joy was literally cut short, by a sharp pain in Link's left side. She grimaced and whimpered, then glanced down to see what had happened. A black dagger was sticking out the side of her belly, held by a dark hand glowing with the mark of the Goddesses.

"Ngh... wha..?" Link shivered in pain and disbelief, but managed to turn back to Ganondorf and meet his eyes. Something was wrong. The golden sheen of his eyes was gone, replaced by an inky black. These were not the eyes of the man she had come to love.

"Heh heh heh... Humans are so easily manipulated."

Ganondorf sat up, violently shoving Link off. She hurried to get to her feet, but he grabbed her by the head and flung her face first against the far wall. He threw her dislodged hat to the ground, then ran forward and pinned her by the neck. The movements were so quick that Link had barely made contact with the wall before being slammed back into it. Blood ran down her forehead into an eye, and she screamed in pain. Both her mind and body were a mess, and she couldn't grasp what was happening.

_It hurts, Ganondorf... Please... let... go... _

"It was easy to take control of him. All I had to do was make him think you had come."

Link was slowly putting the pieces together. The demon must have possessed Ganondorf's body, and by extension, commandeered the Triforce of Power. It squeezed her neck and tossed her back to the center of the room, breaking what little concentration she had gathered.

"He's stubborn, though, and I haven't been able to take him completely. But now that you're here, I shall succeed. After all, what better way to break he who wields the Triforce of Power than to make him use it to kill his lover? Your corpse shall set me free!"

The demon in Ganondorf's body rose high into the air, and called forth a magical blast. It hurled the magic at Link, who in the last second sliced it back with the Master Sword. But she was too weak to aim, and only managed to hit the wall.

Link huffed, doing her best to crawl backward from the demon. Her side was in agony, yet she couldn't remove the knife for fear of exsanguination. Fatigue was setting in hard, and she started losing vision. _I can't fight like this... _

Another magic blast came toward her, but this time she managed to send it back toward the demon and clipped his shoulder. It hissed, more annoyed than injured. It was about to hurl a greater blast at Link, but was interrupted- a streak of silver whizzed through the air and right into its arm.

"Gahhh!" The demon ripped the arrow from its arm, discarding it and cursing up a storm. Link rubbed the blood out of her eyes to focus, and craned her neck to see where the silver had come from. Sheik stood above her on an outcropping, bow in one hand and a silver tipped arrow in the other. He let fly another arrow, though this time the demon dropped downward and the arrow stuck in the floor.

"Link! Grab the discarded arrows and fire them again! Use them to kill that thing!" Sheik barked from the outcropping. Link stared at the two relics she picked off the ground. Silver arrows, the strongest weapon known to Hyrule, even stronger than the Master Sword. Kona once described them as a gift from the Goddess of the Sand, left with mortals in case the ultimate evil ever descended upon them. Their location was said to have been lost.

Link turned and stared back at the demon. It was ignoring her and Sheik, instead cursing and grasping at its arm. Link shivered when she noticed a single drop of blood fall to the floor, and even more so when she saw how much was stuck to an arrowhead.

_I can't... I can't use these arrows on that thing. Not while its inside his body. It will kill the demon, sure, but it could also..._

"Link! What are you waiting for?! Kill it!" Link ignored Sheik's screaming, and instead thought back to the fight at Hyrule castle. Ganon the beast reacted to the Master Sword. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it did beat him back to human form. And the Master Sword was responsible for purifying Link after Zant cursed her. It was the best option for excising the demon while sparing Ganondorf. The arrows can wait until Ganondorf is safe.

"Never let your guard down in battle, fool."

"AHHH!" Link failed to realize that she'd looked away from the demon, and so was unaware that it had gotten close to her until it drove its fist down into her leg, cracking both the floor and Link's bones. There was no way the girl could walk or crawl away now. Two massive hands then reached out and wrapped around her neck, squeezing her windpipe shut.

She heard Sheik screaming and yelling, and saw that the demon was talking to her. But Link's focus was gone. _I'm sorry, Ganondorf. I wanted to save you, but... I guess I'm no match for this thing. But, at least my death will come at your hands, even if you aren't the one controlling them. I suppose it's an honor to be killed by the one you love..._

Link was nearing unconsciousness, but didn't want to give in just yet. There was just enough life in her for one final attack. The silver arrow was still in her right hand, and the demon was close enough for her to jam it in. But instead, she moved with her left, pulling the dagger from her side and shoving it in the gap between Ganondorf's armor.

The demon was shocked, releasing Link and stumbling backward. It was enough of an opening for Sheik to hit with what little magic he could conjure, stunning the demon. Then out of nowhere, Kona leapt in and grabbed Link's discarded sword. The expression on her face was gloomy, and she muttered an apology for what she was about to do. "_Moshiwake gozaimasen, heika._"

Kona thrust the sword through Ganondorf's chest plate, causing both the demon and Ganondorf to scream in agonizing pain. But she immediately withdrew and threw the sword to the floor, careful not to expose her king to the blade more than necessary. Her gamble worked, and soon a black spectre rose from Ganondorf's limp body.

"Meddling bitch. You may have dislodged me from my prey, but there is no way you can kill me with those relics of yours. Not even the greatest archer can hit me in this form, let alone one missing an eye."

"Who said it'd be me, _aho_?"

The demon screamed as Sheik shot one of the arrows into its spine, and turned to see the other headed straight for its eyes. When the second arrow hit, the spectre started sizzling and dissolving. "Damned humans... This won't stop me. Not by a-"

A fierce ball of magic suddenly connected with the spectre and disintegrated it, and Kona and Sheik turned to see the source. Ganondorf sat up, eyes and face red with rage.

"Sir! Are you all right? Forgive me if I've injured you, I was just..."

"_Ii, yo,_" Ganondorf mumbled, completely disinterested in his own health. Instead he ran over to the motionless Link, and lifted her off the floor. "Goddesses, what have I done?"


	14. Pain

Ilia made her way home from Faron Woods, a bundle of firewood on her back. It was a pleasant afternoon, so she stopped for a break at the spring to rest. A patch of odd weeds caught her eye, and she reminisced about how Epona would come when Link blew through them.

It had been two months since they reunited in Castle Town, and though Ilia saw for herself that day that her friend was alive, it didn't make her stop worrying for Link's safety. Her concerns intensified when she heard a rumor that the new king hadn't been seen in weeks. Ganondorf had proven to be a visible ruler, and frequently made appearances on the streets. Ilia didn't venture into town often, but Rusl and Colin did, and Colin especially liked to talk about the Gerudo male. He had accepted the change in monarchy quicker than his father did, and held no prejudice.

So it was because of the little boy's fond descriptions that Ilia recognized the stranger approaching her. Ganondorf paused and stood at the edge of the spring, the sleeves of his black kimono fluttering in the wind.

"You, young woman. Tell me, am I close to Ordon Village? I'm looking for someone there and it's urgent I find them."

Ilia stood still, taking in the giant man standing before her. He looked terrifying, but there was no animosity in his voice. "I am the mayor's daughter. Whatever you want can be settled with me," Ilia huffed in her best intimidation voice.

"Then perhaps you are the one I am looking for. I remember she had a friend, someone who was good with horses...?"

"'She?' Are you talking about Link? What happened, is Link okay?" Ilia went into a panic, running over and yanking on the Gerudo's coat. "Where is she? If you hurt her, I swear to the Goddesses..."

Ganondorf lowered his head and sighed. "This is a complicated situation. Perhaps it would be best for me to speak with your father..."

* * *

_It hurts... All I feel is pain. Pain that I've let Hyrule down. Pain that I couldn't stop the Gerudo from being oppressed. Pain that I couldn't save Ganondorf..._

_His soul must be in agony. If Kona and Sheik can't stop the demon, what will happen to him? He may be gruff and intimidating, but he does not deserve to suffer. He's kind, loyal, brave... and romantic. Yes, he is very affectionate. He grooms his horse, he praises his warriors, he even humors the children in the streets. _

_And he... he even pays attention to me as a girl. I don't have to hide, and I've never needed to fake a smile when he's around. His touches were so warm... A shame I'll never feel that heat again._

_So this is what love is... Ironic that I've learned it here at the end. But perhaps I'll get to feel it in the next life..._

"A tear? Hey, the kid's crying!"

_...What?_

"Crying? Maybe the pain is returning. Make another one of those potions."

"I already explained this, girl. Potions don't work on injuries of this magnitude."

_These voices are familiar... What's happening?_

"That doesn't mean we can't try. Something has to be able to help her. What made the pain go away for you when you lost that eye?"

"I worked through the pain. It was a badge of honor, something a little farm girl like you wouldn't understand."

_Kona? And the other voice, it sounds like... Ilia..._

"...uhn..."

The darkness that had enveloped Link's vision faded, and the owners of the two voices came into sight. She was back at Hyrule Castle, and the first face she saw bore a pair of bright green eyes filled with concern.

"Link! You're awake!"

It really was Ilia. And Kona too, as intact as she last saw her. Link tried her best to smile, but even the smallest movements brought more pain. Her voice failed her as well, and she couldn't manage more than the simplest grunts. Ilia rubbed Link's hair, tears welling in her eyes and too choked up to do anything but smile at her friend.

"...an..."

"Easy kid, your throat was crushed," Kona said, shushing Link as she grabbed a hand mirror. "Take a look. You're almost as wrapped up as the _okama_." Link looked at her reflection, and what Kona said was true. Her forehead and neck were wrapped with thick gauze. There were large scratches above and below her left eye, and the right was completely surrounded by bruising. The rest of her body was in similar shape. A layer of thick cotton bandages hugged her torso, and her left leg was in a cast below the knee.

"Your chest will recover quickly," Kona explained. "The wound wasn't too deep, and fortunately we had a blood donor available." She made a motion to the corner, where Sheik lay asleep in a chair. "Pretty handy that you two have the same blood type. Anyway, _okama_'s got night duty, so he's sleeping now. I said your chest will be fine, but it's really important that we keep an eye on your neck. You toss around a bit in your sleep, so we don't want you to reinjure it."

"...na..."

"Link, it's best you don't try to talk," Ilia softly chided, wiping both hers and her friend's tears away.

But Link insisted, struggling to get out that same single word: "...Gan..."

Kona huffed when she realized what Link was trying to say. "You're worried about him, aren't you? Well, no need to, he's fine." Link let out what sounded like a sigh at the news, before closing her eyes and slipping back into slumber.


	15. He Knew The Whole Time

Sheik was finishing changing a bandage on Link's arm, when the door opened. Ganondorf walked in, wearing his new ever-present scowl. He laid a gentle kiss on the sleeping Link's forehead, before turning to address Sheik. "The three of us should not be in the same room. As appealing as the outcome would be, I won't take the risk of separating Link from the very thing that might be keeping her alive."

"I don't understand your meaning," Sheik tried to stall, but Ganondorf would have none of it. "Enough with the charades, Princess. Link's life means more to me than any conquest or acquisition. I already feel the Triforce resonating, and I don't want her part separating from her body."

"How long have you known?"

"Since the start. Just go, I'll watch after her tonight."

Sheik stepped away from Link, and walked toward the door. "You have been good to Hyrule thus far, and so I will humor you. Peace is most important, after all. But I still don't trust you completely, so you will never get the Triforce of Wisdom so long as I can help it."

After Sheik huffed out, Ganondorf sat on the edge of the bed and combed Link's hair. He removed the bandage around her forehead, and ever so slightly touched the long gash it had covered. He made a pained face as he surveyed the rest of her injuries. He pulled a vial of Golden Chu jelly from his pocket and poured it into Link's mouth, massaging her throat so it would go down. He then looked upon her with a grimace.

"I don't deserve to be in love with you. You're a noble, courageous young woman who goes to any length to help those in need; while I'm a selfish bastard who allows myself to be taken over, and then mercilessly beats the most important person in my life to death's door. And then to make it worse, I'm too cowardly to be there for you when you wake up..."

Ganondorf hung his head and cursed. "If only the Sages had succeeded in executing me... Then you would have never gone through such pain and loss. You would have lived your peaceful life as a rancher, together with friends and family and never in danger. You would have never-"

The king was interrupted by a small, almost unnoticeable tug on his sleeve. When he turned to look, a pair of sleepy eyes gazed back at him, together with a weak smile. He gasped at first, but then his own face turned to a grin as he locked eyes with his beloved.

"Sa...fe...?" Link managed to wheeze out, feeling some relief from the chu jelly but still in pain. It did not stop her determination, however.

"Shhhh," Ganondorf hushed as drew closer to her, allowing their foreheads to touch and gathering her hands in his. "Don't waste your energy by trying to speak. Yes, you've saved everyone. Hyrule and the Gerudo are safe, the threat won't be returning."

_'No, I meant, are you safe?'_ Link resorted to her old ways of communicating, pleading with her eyes and hoping that Ganondorf understood. '_The last thing I remember, Kona grabbed the Master Sword from my side and... Oh Goddesses, the pain that must have caused you!'_

He understood her clearly. "It did hurt, I won't lie. But not as much as seeing you near death. I couldn't even bring myself to appear before you until Kona told me you cried over me."

_'Of course I cried over you. I... I love you, Ganondorf. I don't want you to leave me.'_

Link had been averting her eyes, but she glanced back when she didn't hear any reply. What she saw moved her- Ganondorf was blushing. He grinned all the way to his ears. "That's the best thing you could have ever told me," he whispered into her ear, before moving to push their lips together. Link cooed and opened her mouth, allowing the Gerudo access. He gently licked her tongue, careful not to push against her too hard for fear of hurting her neck.

The injured Hylian laced her fingers with Ganondorf's and squeezed his hand, grateful that he was out of danger. She mewled and sighed as their kiss went on for what seemed like eternity, pouting when he finally released her lips. "Love, as much as I want to continue, you must rest. I have already harmed you beyond forgiveness, I can not bear to cause you more pain."

'_Oh, stop it!_ Link glared at the apologetic Gerudo. _You didn't hurt me, that thing did. You have to stop dwelling on it. I've been hurt worse, I'll recover. But right now I want you to hold me! You said if I helped, I would get whatever I desire, right? Well I desire you! I got jealous when Kona said that you had been with other women. Aren't I good enough? Is it because I'm too much of a boy? I don't really like acting girly but if you want, I'll...'_

"_Yamenasai!_" Ganondorf yelled, shushing Link and squeezing her to his chest, disregarding his earlier restraint. "Don't you ever say that, Link. If anyone ever says that to you, they are wrong, do you hear me? You're more than good enough. You're the epitome of perfection, more radiant than the Goddess of the Sand, Hylia, Din, all of them. You're my mate, my companion, and you'll always be, no matter if you're male, female, mute, talkative, ugly, or pretty. And forget what Kona said. I've never had any interest in women before I met you. That night I touched you in the castle bath, that was when I realized you were the one for me. The only one for me."

Link's eyes widened, stunned yet pleased that he bared his feelings to her. He was squeezing her stomach a little tightly as he lay atop her, but that wasn't the reason she felt uncomfortable. Something was bumping up against her, what she thought was a hairbrush. But when she realized what it was, her entire face turned bright pink. Ganondorf was... _aroused._

"Link, you're burning up, is something wrong?" he asked her, but quickly figured out the cause. "Ah... my emotions betray my composure," he said as he sat up off her and chuckled. "I take it you understand what that means. But as much as I would like to, I won't until you are healed. Now, go to sleep love."

Link was confused, but couldn't hold back from yawning. She gazed toward Ganondorf, her thoughts running wild as sleep began to take her. _Men get like that when they want to make love, right? So what happens when you don't?_ Her eyes fluttered closed, and as they shut, she thought she saw Ganondorf adjusting his clothing. _Maybe that's what Kona meant by making a baby by yourself..._

* * *

**A/N: This was originally going to be the penultimate chapter, and I already have the epilogue finished! But then I realized I left too many unanswered questions, so there will probably be one more before I post the ending. Now to find time to write up the next chapter... Thanks again to all my reviewers and followers! :) **


	16. Happiness

Ilia walked into what had become a familiar sight, Link sleeping curled up against whatever side of the bed Ganondorf chose to sit by. He was usually awake and reading some kind of battle report, today it happened to be a Castle Town newspaper. A Gerudo she had seen before but never met stood at his heels, rattling off incident reports and town gossip. The woman looked exactly like Kona, except that both of her eyes were intact.

"The last thing to mention, would be you-know-who and her damned bar. It seems like she's been hosting a lot of Labrynians lately, and some of them got into a fight with Commander Ashei over the merits of women in military service." The woman scoffed at the word "bar", as if she disapproved.

"And I assume Ashei struck whoever said it?" Ganondorf asked, not bothering to look up from the paper, and just barely acknowledging Ilia as she checked Link's bandages.

"No, Telma did. I tell you, her blood only shows through when its mocked."

Ilia giggled at this point, having first hand knowledge of Telma's temper. Ilia never thought the barkeeper was anything but Hylian, but after spending three months living among the Gerudo while caring for Link, she quickly discovered the truth. Telma was part of a Gerudo line prone to pointed Hylian ears, and Ilia was stunned to find out she was Ganondorf's second cousin.

"You think this is funny, Hylian?" the woman asked. "You've clearly never made her truly mad. One time I called her cooking plain, she screamed my ear off AFTER pulling me out into the street by it and making me apologize to the passers-by for causing the racket that she was making!"

"Aveil, you embellish things too much," Ganondorf smirked, finally done with his paper. "Ilia knows quite a bit about Telma, I can assure you. And I'm sure she knows who is really to be afraid of..."

"The cat!" all three declared in unison, each one grabbing an area that had once met Louise's claws. The resulting laughter stirred Link awake, and she was very confused at the sight of three people rubbing old wounds.

"Good morning Link, are you feeling well today?" Ilia asked, handing her friend a cloth to wash her face. Link nodded and unconsciously scratched at her bandaged neck, before having her hand slapped away.

"Link!" This was a tone of voice she was all too familiar with. "You know better than to scratch at your bandages. Look at this, one of them is frayed at the edges! And it looks like the tape has been disturbed!" Ilia growled a little before turning to Ganondorf. "You're supposed to be making sure she keeps them on! It's obvious that you've been letting her take them off! Don't think I don't know what you two are doing in here at night, or the reason why Link's abdomen has been taking longer to heal! I won't interfere in your lives but for Farore's sake wait until she's fully recovered! If it keeps up, I'll just have to start chaperoning your visits!"

Link turned so red one would think she'd been dunked in boiling water, while Ganondorf's eyes grew wide as could be. Even Aveil was silent, stunned that this five foot half-pint dared to yell at the seven and a half foot king. The heavy mood was soon broken by rambunctious laughter from the doorway, where everyone turned to see that Kona had been eavesdropping.

"Shit, forget about about Tels or that damn cat, blondie here is the one to fear." Kona ruffled Ilia's hair, then immediately snatched away the blanket Link had chosen to disappear under. "Hey kid, don't be shy, it's what lovers do. Now hurry up and get dressed, today's the day Doc Nana is coming to give you a checkup and if you're lucky, you'll get that cast off!"

"You brought Nana with you from the Valley? Good. And how are things progressing?" Ganondorf asked, having recovered from Ilia's lashing enough to speak. After the demon's defeat, Kona had started working with Sheik to investigate the Arbiter's Grounds and make sure nothing else lingered.

"_Okama_ thinks the demon came in through the Twilight Mirror, but I think it had something to do with that strange country on the other side of the mountains. I never did like them and their preoccupation with the Carnival of Time. But she insists they're harmless so we're stuck with the Twilight theory."

"She?" Link knew exactly who "okama" referred to, though she didn't know what the word meant. But that person was definitely not a she. Kona grimaced when she realized her slip-up, and muttered something to her king. "_Itteshimatta... Doushiyou?_" She was asking what she should do, scratching her head.

"_Iiyo. Oshieteyaru..._" Ganondorf smirked at Kona's panic, and assured her it was no problem. "Link, Sheik is Princess Zelda in disguise. She's just not as good at hiding her gender as you are." Ilia gasped, but Link looked at Ganondorf and chuckled in return. It made sense- Sheik would always make comments about the castle's history when they talked, and wasn't too heavily built for a warrior. Not to mention the Sheikah were all but extinct.

"But never mind that," Ganondorf said, "we can ask the doctor to remove the bandage on your neck. Maybe even your cast." Link smiled at this, and the two nuzzled together. Even Ilia couldn't help but find their happiness heartwarming.

"_Shinjirarenai_," Aveil muttered at the romantic display, making Ilia ask for translation.

"She said we never thought we'd see the day that our little buddy Ganny would gush over someone like this," Kona said. Link cocked her head and mouthed the nickname, while Ganondorf threw back a retort. "And yet you told Link I slept with your twin sister?"

Kona and Aveil glanced at each other. "You told her I slept with the King? Filthy liar."

"It was just small talk, I was trying to find out if the kid had any experience is all," Kona said as she scratched her head.

"When you lost that eye, did you lose some of your brain as well?"

The twins degraded into a squabbling mess, resulting in Ilia shoving them out of the room and ordering Link to change for the doctor. When they were alone, Link mumbled, "They think we were..."

"Let them think what they want," Ganondorf said as he slid off Link's pajamas and helped her into fresh clothing. "Or would you rather I tell them the real reason your stomach took longer to heal?"

The truth was that Ganondorf and Link had yet to make love. One night she woke from a terrible nightmare, that he had abandoned her. And so she threw herself out of bed to chase after him, injuries be damned, when it turned out he was sitting at the nearby desk mending her favorite tunic. That was how she ripped open her stomach, and so he made it a point to sleep beside her after that. But he never went back on his word to stay chaste, not even when she started curling against him.

* * *

"You deserve a reward for your patience, not to mention to celebrate your recovery," Ganondorf whispered as he carried Link to his bedroom. "Nana is known for making patients rest longer than necessary, especially those in casts, so I'm elated that she took it off. Well done, love."

He kicked the door shut behind him, before carrying Link straight to his attached bathroom. She sat on a counter and watched as he ran around filling the tub, checking the temperature, fetching towels, checking the temperature again, digging for shampoo, temperature once more, and finally turning off the faucet. It was funny to watch him doing things he clearly had servants do in the past.

He let Link soak, as it was her first real bath in months, then wrapped her in a towel and carried her back to the bed. "You look afraid."

"I'm not afraid, just... a-anxious. You've been looking forward to this for so long, and I'm, I have no idea what to do."

"The only things you need to do are trust me," Ganondorf murmured into Link's ear as he leaned over her, slowly pulling her towel away, "and to tell me what feels good." He brushed his fingers along her navel, watching her reactions as he trailed downward. He made it to her hair before she started shivering and breathing heavier.

"Ah, so that's something you like. What about this?"

Link moaned as Ganondorf slid his hands up her chest, cupping her breasts and lightly pinching one of her nipples. When he used his mouth on the other one, she started writhing and grabbed at his hair. It felt slightly different to her this time, probably because he wasn't wearing any of his ornaments or even his circlet. But she liked it, and wrapped her fingers in the shoulder length red strands.

Ganondorf got up from her long enough to toss away his kimono, and Link got a good look at the now nude Gerudo. It wasn't the first time she saw him bare, but the first that she got a good look at his features. And he was _big_. Maybe too big.

He noticed her silent panic, and so he brought Link to her first climax with his fingers. She moaned and tensed at his touch, and before long was begging him to continue. He said not a word, confirming with a glance that this was what she really wanted. "I trust you," was her only reply, and the so two finally joined.

* * *

**A/N: Apologies if that was a little underwhelming... I'm afraid I totally suck at writing love scenes that aren't total porn. orz But I wanted to keep this one rather tame (and on AO3 I have it rated T).**

**Also, a very very VERY big thank you to all my readers, followers, and reviewers! This fic is over 6000 views! Ahh! *dies* The next chapter will be the final one, sadly. :( But all good things must come to an end, I guess...**


	17. Spirited and Idle

"I want to go home."

Ganondorf sat in bed, reading his strategy report. The love of his life was curled across his lap, tracing circles around his navel, while his free hand massaged her scalp. He raised an eyebrow at the little outburst. "But you are home, love."

Link fidgeted, wiggling the toes of her recently broken leg. "Yeah, but... um..."

"I know what you mean, pumpkin," Ganondorf chuckled, setting down the book. "But you can't even walk to the bathroom on your own yet. Ordon is out of the question."

"But I-"

"No buts. You were stabbed, thrown around like a ragdoll, your leg was shattered, and you were strangled. You are staying in bed for the foreseeable future."

Dejected, Link rolled off his lap onto the other side of the bed. She missed laying in the grass of the ranch, watching the children play from her high window, and most definitely chasing cats barefoot through the village. She sighed in disappointment, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Don't be sad, you'll see home soon, I promise."

* * *

Link sat in bed and stared at the wall. "This is nuts." She could hear Kona's booming voice from her training session in the courtyard and desperately wanted to watch, but the king wouldn't budge. He was currently en route to Gerudo Valley with Aveil for some kind of Spirit ceremony, and wouldn't be back until nightfall. That meant she stayed in bed.

"So what if I can't walk to the bathroom myself, maybe it's because you won't let me!" she huffed, shoving Ganondorf's pillow off the bed onto the floor. She then decided to hell with recovery, she was going to march herself down to that courtyard.

Link shimmied to the edge of the bed, and poked her feet out from the blanket. She used the bedpost to hold herself steady as she put weight on her feet. _Okay, standing. Not so bad..._

She let go of the post and took a step forward, but collapsed as soon as she bore down on the freshly healed leg.

_SHIT! Ugh, Midna would be laughing at me, I know it. "Come on, get up, dumb doggie! You went through much worse, Argorok knocked you out cold for an entire day in that chicken-boob-creature city!"_ Link laughed and crawled to the door, using it to pull herself up. Standing once more, she pulled it open.

Ganondorf stood with his arms crossed on the other side.

"!"

"Little baby never learns, does she?" With a smirk and a flick of his hand, Ganondorf lifted Link in the air and floated her toward the bed. "I had a feeling you would try to get up while I was away."

"Nononononono put me DOWN!" He plopped her down onto the bed at her request, then came over and lifted her chin. Pouting, Link turned away. "No kisses for you. You tricked me."

"I simply decided to postpone my trip to the Valley, in favor of a new destination. I came to tell you but found you trying to escape."

"I am NOT your prisoner! I don't care if you're the king of Gerudos or of Hyrule or of the world! I won't let you boss me around!" Link shoved Ganondorf away and buried her face in the blankets. "I just want to go home."

A sudden disorientation came over Link, and she grabbed her head. When the feeling passed, Link lifted her head and found a picture of a goat hanging directly in front of her. Beside it was one of Ilia with Epona. The frames were a little dusty, but she recognized them. She was in her treehouse in Ordon Village.

"I should warn you, it's not a good idea to go off on an adventure and leave a pot of soup on the fire." Ganondorf laughed as Link sat up and bonked him on the shoulder. "Whenever did I say that you were my prisoner? You've given your life to defend Hyrule, now I'm just asking that you devote a little time to yourself. Stay in bed, let the rest of us defend the realm. There's no harm in being idle, even for one as spirited as yourself."

Link smiled, but did her best to hide it. "Humph. But did you really have to transport me like that? I feel so lightheaded."

"To be honest, I wanted to get you in bed as soon as possible, so this seemed the best way..." Ganondorf winked and brought their lips together, while gently laying Link back down. "I've never done it in a tree before..."

"Weren't you just saying something about being idle?"

"You know what they say about 'idle hands'..."


	18. Augh

"Pumpkin, come out here. I have something to show you."

"What is it?" A very sleepy Link stumbled into Ganondorf's office. Thanks to a certain someone's _affection_ she was up most of the night, and then an unexpected visit from Ilia kept her from sleeping in.

Ganondorf motioned to a velvet box on his desk. "Open it." Link padded over and found a modified Gerudo style outfit inside. "I was wondering if you would like to wear this for the ceremony today?"

It was a red and blue patterned white bandeau, with a billowing satin skirt and thin clear sandals. Added just for Link was a celadon charmeuse jacket, to protect her fair skin and add a bit of modesty. She was very self conscious of her injuries and didn't like other people seeing them, so Ganondorf had it specially woven to accentuate her figure but hide the scars.

Link found it pretty, but it wasn't her style. "You still haven't told me what this ceremony is for, and now you want me to wear a Gerudo outfit? One for the priestesses no less?"

Ilia and Aveil entered the room carrying snack trays and drinks, walking in on the conversation. Aveil noticed the outfit from the corner of her eye, and spoke up. "Oh, My Lady, that outfit would look so cute on you. You have to wear it!"

"Why?" Link pouted, but then noticed a slight look of disappointment on Ganondorf's face. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed it, and the king himself wasn't aware he was doing it. It made Link's chest ache. "Oh, well all right. As long as I can keep the jacket on."

Ganondorf smiled and kissed Link's cheek in gratitude. "I thought you would look so wonderful marking the one year anniversary of my ascension in a Gerudo dress. But more importantly, this is the day I met you, the day I realized that you would become the most important thing in my life." The other two girls, aware of what was really going on, winked at each other, then set up breakfast just as Kona came in beaming as bright as a torch.

"Hey, is everything ready for the ceremony?"

"Not. Yet." Ganondorf growled through his teeth, giving Kona a glare that would freeze lava. She took the hint.

"_Sumanai_, I just thought things were go already. I'll, um, just go make sure the stage is set."

Kona dashed out of the room, leaving Link confused. But she let it go as Ilia sat beside her and curled a finger through her messy hair. "Link, do you want me to fix your hair after breakfast? I know a few styles that will look really cute with that dress."

"Sure, I know how much you like playing with my hair."

"Yeah, especially now that it's longer." The Ordonians laughed, while Ganondorf excused himself and Aveil to get prepared.

Later, Link stood on the viewing platform above the training grounds, watching the other Gerudo gather for Ganondorf's ceremony. She wore the outfit and had her hair in a simple high ponytail, though Ilia curled it and stuck a pink flower above her ear. Suddenly the Gerudo got quiet as Ganondorf entered. Most of them dispersed, save for Link's friends among Kona's training squad.

Ganondorf took Link's hand and lead her to the center of the platform. She started to question what was going on when she noticed Ilia, Rusl, Colin, Uli, and the new baby standing with Kona and Aveil.

"Ganon...?"

Ganondorf tucked a strand of Link's hair behind the ear with the flower, then gathered both her hands in his. "Link, hero of Hyrule, savior of the Gerudo... You mean more to me than anything. More than the Triforce, more than my life. I would chain myself back to the Sages' stone and endure their punishment again if meant protecting you. I honestly can't imagine living my life without you anymore. So that's why... I want you to be my wife."

Link gasped, and her knees buckled once she processed the weight of his words. Ganondorf caught her and sat on the ground with her, massaging her shoulders as she started sobbing into his neck. "I never thought... When I was a kid, I just wanted a family, but... I had to be a boy... I couldn't get close to anyone because they'd find out... I just wanted someone who loved me for me... Not for what I was pretending-"

Ganondorf interrupted her by touching their foreheads together. "You have me, pumpkin. You had me the second your golden hair tumbled from that worn out hat. No... you had me the second I plucked you from the spillway beneath the castle and saw those sparkling cerulean eyes."

"Then... sniff... why did you break my hand? Why did you punch me? Why did you tackle me off that horse?"

"I don't know. I regret harming you every day, the same way I regret letting that demon nearly take your-"

Link shushed Ganondorf with a quick kiss. "If you want me to marry you, you better not finish that sentence!"

"I won't, I... Huh? Really?! You will?"

Link's cheeks blushed as bright as the flower in her hair. "I can't live without you anymore, either, you know."

Ganondorf cheered and pulled Link in for a passionate kiss, causing the crowd to applaud. He pulled out a beautiful emerald circlet and hooked it in her hair, then blushed as she leaned up and lightly kissed his own.

"I guess you know what the ceremony is for now..."

Link sat back and gasped. "Us? Right now?!"

"Well, you're already in a wedding dress and your family is here. Besides, the sooner we wed, the sooner we can _celebrate_." Ganondorf winked and pawed at Link's waist, making her blush.

"How did you manage to pull all this off?"

"Ilia told me some things about your ideal wedding. Low key, simple yet flowing dress, quiet outdoor ceremony..."

Turning to the crowd, Link caught her best friend snickering. "Ilia, you were in on it too?!"

"Hee hee, sorry!"

"Augh!" Link playfully punched Ganondorf's shoulder, then leaned into his coat as if to hide. "Hurry and bring out your damn priestess and get it over with so I can punish you in private!"

"Yes, my love. But exactly how much _punishing_ are you planning to do? Hmm? Will we get any sleep at all?"

"AUGH!"

* * *

A/N: This chapter was meant to be funny, in case my sense of humor isn't as good as I thought it was. :)

A/N update: I just realized that since I put these chapters in chronological order, Gan's comment about the spillway might not make any sense. :x In "Honor and Obligation", he mentions pulling a wolf from the sewer. This flashback story is actually told in the upcoming chapter "Kira the Insomniac", which was written before these two chapters. My apologies.


	19. The Flu

Link rolled in her bed and groaned, reeling from her third fit of vomiting in the span of six hours. "Stupid jerk just had to give me his flu before he left," she mumbled to herself, remembering how Ganondorf felt under the weather the previous month (though being the stubborn King that he was, he refused to take medicine or even acknowledge being ill). She would have made him sleep on the sofa had he not left yesterday on a two month expedition to Termina. Link absolutely hated being sick.

Link stared at the bucket on the floor, rather angry that she couldn't keep her breakfast down. Breakfast had been Yeto's famous Reekfish soup without the cheese or pumpkins, something she had become very fond of lately. How she could have turned her nose up at it before was a mystery, it was so good, ESPECIALLY when he left the skin and bones on the fish.

"Wait a minute, what the heck was I just thinking? Eating fish with the bones still attached? Yuck..." Link rolled back over and buried her head in the blanket, ignoring her thoughts as well as the knock at the door.

"Oi, Link, get the hell out of bed!" Only one person talked to her like that, let alone waltzed into the King and Queen of Hyrule's bedroom without permission.

"'M sleepin, Kona..."

"No, you're not, it's three in the afternoon. You were supposed to meet me at the carnival an hour ago so we could spook that punk Purlo out of his rupees." The scent of vomit then hit Kona's nose. "Ugh, what the hell, kid! Puke in the toilet, not in a bucket. If you were sick, why didn't you call the doctor?" Kona ran around removing the soiled containers, then brought Link a glass of water. "So, the big man really was sick, then? How dare he give it to you then leave! When he comes back, we'll throttle him!"

Link smiled and came out of the blanket.

* * *

Three days later the vomiting had ceased, but dizziness and all sorts of bathroom problems took its place. First Link couldn't go an hour without urinating, and then it was like she couldn't pass anything at all. Finally she got so fed up that she started screaming at anyone who walked by, and more than once did Aveil find her leaning over her bed crying her eyes out.

"Um, is everything okay, My Lady?" Aveil asked when she brought Link's dinner up. She barely dodged an oncoming pillow as she spoke.

"Don't call me that! I'm no one's lady or queen or mistress or any of it! IT'S LINK!" Link crumpled back onto the bed sobbing. "I'm sorry, I just hate being sick... It's never been this bad before and he's not here to comfort meee..." She suddenly regretted not going with Ganondorf to ally with the Termina Gerudo. Her excuse at the time was that she didn't feel up to traveling; her leg was acting up and Termina was just too cold. But it was something he had to do, so she supported him and told him to go with her blessing.

Aveil sat beside Link and rubbed her back. She had an inkling, and if it was true, this was what Link needed. "I'll comfort you Link. ...For what it's worth, I think I know why you're feeling so down. Though, you probably don't want to hear it, at least none of the others I've had to comfort like this did."

Link sat up. "Do I have something... dangerous?"

"Not at all. Give me your finger." Kona took a vial out of her belt, then pricked Link's finger just hard enough to draw a drop of blood. She collected it into the vial, then poured a clear liquid inside. When it touched Link's blood, it turned bright blue.

Just then, Kona burst through the door. "Oi, why are you taking so long, sis, we're supposed to-" She cut herself off when she saw Link holding the blue vial. "KYAAAAH!"

Kona ran over and squeezed both Link and her sister so hard, Link thought her bones were going to break.

"Kona, stop it, you're scaring Link."

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! For how long? Does he know? You'll let me be the _komori_ right?"

"What's going on?" Link tried to push her way out, but Kona always was stronger than her.

"Oh, our little Ganny and his _hanayome_ are gonna be-"

"KONA." Aveil clamped a hand over Kona's mouth. "This is not the way to tell her!" Turning to Link, she swiftly apologized. "Forgive her impertinence." Wiping off Link's cheeks, she smiled. "Link, my lady, it is my honor to inform you that you are going to be a mother."

"...What?" Link couldn't move. Surely she didn't hear Aveil right? "You mean, I'm... pregnant? No I'm not, I'm just sick. Ganondorf gave me the flu before he left."

"And I'll bet you gave him a good-bye present." Kona smirked, but Aveil quickly slapped it off her face.

"Even without the test, it would explain a great many things, Miss Link. The vomiting, your bathroom troubles, suddenly eating that soup you normally can't stand..."

"But I'm only nineteen, I can't be a mother! The villagers, the townsfolk, they'll all spread rumors..." Link gasped, and tears rolled down her face. "Oh no. Ganondorf, he... he'll think I'm a tramp... and then he'll get rid-"

"Link!" Kona and Aveil both cut her off.

"Listen to yourself, kid! The King would never do such a thing! You're the love of his life. He'll be so damn happy when he finds out, he'll probably jump through the roof."

"Motherhood is a sacred gift among our people, and we would never shame anyone for bringing a child into the world at your age. On the contrary, you are our savior and the father is our King; that child is already loved, now and from the day she was created." Aveil brushed Link's bangs away from the circlet she wore in place of a wedding band, and held her head. "You proudly wear our symbols, and you helped us restore relations with the Hylians. No one could ever be ashamed of you, least of all your own husband."

Link calmed down a bit, and leaned on Kona's shoulder. "...I never thought it would happen. I was a boy until a year and a half ago, after all."

"I was younger than you, don't sweat it."

Aveil and Link both turned wide-eyed to the scarred Gerudo. Link had no words, but Aveil did.

"_Masaka!_"

"Yup, when I was sixteen. She'd be Link's age now. Lives with her father in Termina, though, so it's been a while since I've seen her."

"How the hell do I have a nineteen year old niece and not even know it?"

"I'm not sure, you know her father pretty well. He's the hot fisherman you spurned when you had that training in the Great Bay."

Link giggled as the two squabbled, living up to their reputation as the "terrible twins". When they were out of breath, she interrupted them. "Um, so what do I do now?"

"Well, kid, when did you bleed last? That'll tell us about when to expect the little princess," Kona explained.

"You mean menstruation? It was about a month and a half ago, I remember it being real light. I didn't use nearly as many cottons as I usually do..."

"Ah, that wasn't a real bleed, then. I had the same thing, sometimes you bleed at the start. So you're a month and a half along. Oh boy, will he be in for a shock when he gets back."

"What? Why do you say that?"

"Because, kid, you are a tiny little thing, and tiny little things show a lot quicker than others. But kid, why are you so shocked this happened? Don't you keep track of when you're going to bleed?"

Link fidgeted. "Not really... There have been times when it was two months between. It never even crossed my mind that this could happen."

"Ha! Such an innocent little queen. They call it 'seed' for a reason, kid."

"KONA!"

* * *

Link fidgeted on the bed, every so often lifting the blanket and staring down at the little swell above her hips. Kona had been right, Link was definitely showing more than most girls at fifteen weeks. Her chest had grown too big for her undershirts, and her comfy tunic was getting too tight around the top. At the moment she wore a shirt raided from Ganondorf's closet.

He was coming home tonight. He would be here any second, and she still was scared to tell him. That's why she chose to hide in their room under the comforter, instead of going down to the gate to greet him. She knew he was back in Castle Town, she knew his horse was returned to the stable to nuzzle with Epona, and she knew he was shaking off the advisors to run to her. But she was just too scared...

The door flung open, and Link suddenly caught a scent she had been missing for two months. She peeked out, meeting golden eyes and a grin that melted her.

"I hope you're naked under that blanket."

Ganondorf watched as his wife turned bright red. He quickly tossed off his breastplate and cape and strode over to the bed, smirking at how coy she was playing. "Forgive me for leaving only four months after the wedding. But at least you can be sure that I thought of you every day I was gone. Did you think the same of me?"

_Oh, you have no idea._

Link wiggled further into the blanket to escape, but the Gerudo grabbed her foot and brought it to his mouth, kissing her toes and lightly tickling the sole. "So shy today..." He slid a hand up her leg, making her yelp and accidentally let go of the blanket. It was his chance to rip it away, and he laughed when he saw her in his clothing. "Now that's even sexier than wearing nothing at all."

Ganondorf leaned up and caught the wiggling girl in a kiss, and as much as she wanted to get away, two months was too long to wait for this feeling again. His exotic taste was her weak point, and she opened her mouth to let him in. She was nearly gone when she felt his hand wrap around her breast. It felt so different from last time, she wanted more. But then she remembered why her breasts were feeling so different.

Link caught her senses and pushed away again, but the king wasn't having it. He pulled her back and licked her cheek, trailing down her neck with his tongue while sliding his hands down her side. She squirmed and wiggled but it was too late- he reached her stomach.

"What's wrong, Link? I thought you liked your belly caressed? Don't tell me your wound is bothering you..." Ganondorf abruptly pulled off her shirt to inspect, but Link curled to the side. Turning her back and holding her still with one hand, he used the other to trace her scars as he had done so many other times.

Then he noticed.

She gained a little weight while he was gone, in her breasts and her belly. "Such a silly thing to be embarrassed of," he mumbled, before leaning in to kiss her belly button. But as he rubbed her skin, he realized something- she wasn't flabby. Her stomach was firm. And it didn't flatten out into the rest of her body while she lied. He turned his gaze up to her.

"Link."

"..."

"Link..."

"...P-please don't get angry with me! I didn't know what to do and I-"

"Link!" Ganondorf picked Link up and pulled her to his chest, grinning wider than thought possible. He knew a pregnancy when he saw one. And this one was his. He laughed and rolled her around on the bed, kissing her from head to toe. "Oh, my love, why didn't you tell me before I left? This is the best news I could have ever gotten! My Link will be a mother! How much longer?"

"I didn't know until you left. ...I thought I was sick because I caught your flu. Kona said I was already a month and a half then, so now it's almost four. But aren't you ashamed? I'm only nineteen and we hadn't even been married three months before-"

"Oh, silly, Gerudo have children as young as fifteen and none of them are ever married. Besides, why would I care about stupid Hylian rules on marriage? The woman I love more than anything in the world is giving me a child. That is the only thing that matters."

Link let out a heavy sigh and hugged Ganondorf. "Just promise me, you won't make fun of me if I get fat?"

"Love, remember what I said after you woke from the demon's injuries?"

_You're my mate, my companion, and you'll always be, no matter if you're male, female, mute, talkative, ugly, or pretty._ Of course Link remembered. She had committed those words to heart. "I remember. I just hope you remember when I'm cursing you during childbirth."

"Hah!"

* * *

"He didn't jump through the roof."

"But you could hear his laughing through the whole castle. So I win the bet."

"No, you lose the bet. You said he would jump through the roof and tell everyone in an instant. I said he would celebrate with her in private. I win. Fork it over."

Kona groaned and handed over the silver rupee, which Aveil took it with a smirk.


	20. Original Epilogue

Ganondorf strode up the path from North Castle Town, slightly exhausted after giving a rousing speech to the townsfolk. He passed the gate and started to go towards the castle, when giggling from the garden caught his attention. He smiled and headed in that direction. The source of the giggling soon came into view- a small child with strawberry blonde hair and freckles was chasing a foal and waving around a bug net. When she saw him, she stopped and charged forward.

"Papa!"

The golden skinned child jumped into the king's arms, her big jade green eyes reflecting back his smile. Ganondorf kissed her cheek and rubbed her head, before calmly questioning her. "Kira, what are you doing out here with Freya? She is just a baby, so she should be in the stable with her mother. You don't want Epona to get mad, do you?" He turned his gaze to the brown and black foal. "Freya is only a few months old, after all."

"Epona's not gunna be mad, Papa." Kira emphatically stated. "She knows I'm not gunna hurt Freya. 'Asides, Freya likes me." The little girl's pointy ears wiggled as she shook her head up and down. "And Mama said if I'm nice she'll let me ride Freya when we're both bigger."

"And where is Mama?" Ganondorf watched as Kira pointed to a picnic blanket in a flower patch a few yards away.

"She said her leg was hurtin, so she laid down. Somfing about ree-sid-chu-al pain."

"Okay, Kira." Ganondorf set his daughter on the ground, and kneeled to her level. "Can you do me a favor, love? Take Freya back to the stable, then go inside and help in the kitchen. I'll be in to give you a reward, then."

Kira nodded, and took off. Ganondorf watched the four year old lead the foal back, and then walked over to the flower patch. Right on the middle of the blanket slept a lump in a green tunic, golden hair sticking out in all directions. He sat down beside her and whispered in her ear. "Wake up, sleepyhead..." He smiled as she came around, and laughed as she tried to roll up under the blanket. "Liiiink... Time to get up."

"Mmn... where's Kira?" Link mumbled as she sat up, still half asleep but aware of the child's missing presence. No sooner did she sit up straight than she leaned on the Gerudo, nuzzling under his chin and nodding off again. Ganondorf pulled her in and kissed her.

"She's putting Freya back in the stable. Those two are going to be inseparable soon, much like their mothers." He smoothed out Link's bed hair, admiring her half-awake visage but also glancing at her well-worn tunic. "You always look beautiful, but I think something more form fitting would be stunning. Don't you agree, my queen?"

Link swatted at him, missing by a mile but having the intended effect. "I like my comfy clothes. And don't call me a queen, you know I don't like it."

"Why not? It's a fitting title. After all, you're a leader to the Hyruleans, you protect them in times of need, and..." Ganondorf kissed the emerald Gerudo circlet adorning her forehead. "You were and still are the most beautiful bride anyone could have ever asked for."

Link accepted defeat, and leaned back against her king. The Gerudo were ever thankful to Link for delivering them from the demon, and had insisted that Link join their tribe. And so one year to the day that they had met in Eldin Field, Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo, married Link of Ordon Village. It was an event for the Gerudo, as weddings were even rarer than male births among the desert tribe. But Ganondorf had respected Link's shyness, and kept it low key. She returned the favor by wearing a Gerudo dress during the ceremony and his favorite chemise afterward.

The marriage was celebrated in Hyrule as well, as a sign that Hylians and Gerudo were truly reunified. Sheik, or rather Princess Zelda, decided to remain in hiding amongst the Gerudo and started studying their temples and culture, as a way to atone for her family's past actions. And as much as Link disliked the title, Hyrule loved their new queen. Once her story started going around, little girls all over the kingdom started playing with wooden swords and asking for archery lessons.

Link and Ganondorf sat arm in arm for a while, reminiscing about various things, until they saw little Kira running back from the stable with a shiny stone. "Mama! Papa! Look what I found! It's sparkly!" Link pulled the little girl into her lap, while Ganondorf took the stone and inspected it. "Wow, Kira, you are very lucky. I haven't seen one of these in ages."

"What is it?" Link asked. "It looks like a jewel, but I've never seen one yellow and purple like that."

"A Goddess Plume," he replied. "They're very old, older than Hyrule itself. You have inherited your mother's treasure hunting skills, Kira. It's a magnificent find." Kira smiled and hugged her mother, then took the stone and waved it around. "I wanna make a pretty head necklace out of it like you two's. Can I, Papa?"

"I'll start on it right away," Ganondorf answered, standing up with both women in his arms as a show of strength. Link protested but Kira loved it, giggling and crawling over to ride on the king's shoulders. Link watched how happy the members of her family were as they walked back to the castle, and came to realize something.

You can never anticipate how things will end up. Twenty four years ago, a girl was born bearing the mark of the Goddesses, and that girl was told she had to live as a man. Seven years ago, that girl was told she had the divine gift of courage, and had to use it to free Hyrule from the Twilight. And just one short year after that, the girl was thrust into battle with the man bearing the divine gift of power.

If at any point along that journey, one were to ask the girl how she felt about her destiny, she would have said it was too much to bear. But if one were to ask her now, she would say that she was grateful. She learned much about the world, and while she lost friends and spilt much of her own blood along the way, she gained allies, a husband and child, and most importantly a new identity. No longer was she Link, the boy hero. She was Link, friend and mother to the people of Hyrule.

"Mama, you're making a funny face," Kira said, noticing Link's grin.

"Mama's just smiling because she loves you," Ganondorf chimed in with a grin of his own.

"That's right, Kira. I love you. And I love Papa as well." Link kissed both of them on the cheek. "Now, about that stone..."

* * *

**A/N: This was the original ending chapter to Identities, so the following note may seem out of place. But I really didn't want to stop writing this family! It's just so fluffy!  
**

**Thank you for reading through several thousand words of one girl's imagination! I love fluffy and sappy stories, and I also like a little OOC every now and then, so ta-da!**

**Some notes on the text: I originally wanted Link to stay quiet throughout the story, but I realized that wasn't a good idea. So I came up with the idea of Ganondorf "teaching" her how to talk again, though all he did was make her read a novelization of A Link to the Past. XD**

**Kona was my idea of a badass Gerudo, and I intended her to be about 5 years older than Ganondorf. But I couldn't decide how old I wanted him to be, so that's why no one besides Link has an age mentioned. What is he in the game, 30? Works for me. That would put Kona (and Aveil) at 35-40. Kona doesn't let her missing eye drag her down, and she's a fierce bitch at archery. I also wanted her and the Gerudo as a whole to embrace their language, so that's why they're all spouting Japanese throughout the story. I really need to get working on that Gerudo language... But the bonus would be that if you know what the word "okama" means, you'll realize that she knew about Zelda the whole time. Back when OOT first came out, none of my friends believed me when I thought Sheik might be Zelda. But guess what, friends? ;) **

**Kira... :) Let me just say that if you can figure out who I named her after, you'll know exactly what she's supposed to look like. Just change the hair color to strawberry blonde and viola! But she doesn't have wings like her namesake. (Wait a sec, maybe the movie is too old for some of you readers? Man I'm old. She's from an 80's fantasy movie, that's all you get).**


	21. Why Mama Picked Papa

I found this half finished snippet about Link and Kira discussing how clingy Gan was during Link's pregnancy, and decided to finish it. The ending came out a little weird, mostly because I had no idea what I was originally trying to convey. Then I read a "sex in the hallway" zelgan fic by quietlypastel and remembered that Kira was a frequent observer of such trysts. Tee hee hee. :3

* * *

"Mama, your hair is getting long."

The young princess of Hyrule ran her fingers through Link's hair as she laid on her back. Kira loved playing with and styling her parents' hair. She was even known to send Ganondorf to a council meeting with a plaited mane.

"Yeah, baby, I guess it is... Your father really likes long hair, so I stopped trimming it. Believe it or not, my hair used to be really short."

"Was that when you were a boy?"

"Yup, back before I met Papa."

Kira crawled up and stuck her head over Link's shoulder. "Mama, why'd you pick Papa?"

"Pick?"

"Yeah, um... Aveil told me that when a Gerudo gets old enough, she goes into town and finds a daddy for her baby."

Link got red in the face. "Uh, well I guess they do that... B-but that's not what I did. Papa saved me, twice actually. The first time when he took the throne, and the second time when we saved the Valley. After that, I realized he was important to me. You came along around two years later."

"I'm glad you picked Papa. I like Papa. He's nice and strong, and he loves to play with us, and he's sensitive!"

"Why do you say that?"

"'Cause Kona told me! She said she caught Papa crying back before I was born. He was sad that you were hurt. He always gets sad when one of us is hurt."

"...He is a sensitive man. Did I ever tell you how he acted when you were in my tummy?"

"No! Tell me, pwease?"

"Papa used to talk to you. He would always rub where you were growing inside me, and whenever he thought I was asleep, I would catch him speaking to you in Gerudo."

* * *

Link sat in bed reading a book, until suddenly she felt a scratchy weight against her belly. She didn't need to, but she lowered her book anyway to confirm it- the most terrifying man in Hyrule was rubbing his cheek against her stomach.

"You would think that as the sole male of your tribe, you'd have made a billion babies by now."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping with my sisters was never on my agenda."

"Understandable. But you're acting like you've never seen a pregnancy before. If anything, **I'm** the one who should be freaking out and rubbing tummies."

"Kona and Aveil's mother made it my job to help Valley women give birth. 'To humble me', she said. I've seen many too pregnancies to count. So you can imagine why I'm so excited for my own little one. And now that you've given her a name, I can't wait for little Kira to arrive." Ganondorf resumed his ritual of rubbing against Link's stomach, making her smile.

"Promise me something," she said, marking her page and setting the book aside. "When little Kira Lilly comes out-"

"Kira _Lilly_?! That is adorable!"

"Yes yes," Link practically had to beat back Ganondorf's excitement. "As I was saying, when Kira comes out, I'd like it if we didn't push her too hard. I know she's technically the next princess of Hyrule, and that usually they're supposed to be named Zelda, but..."

"Her name is Kira," Ganondorf said with a firm tone. "I don't care what Hylian tradition demands. I'm the king now and I say that my little girl is allowed to run around in the flowers, or play with the goats, or study all day in the library, or whatever, _as long as it's what she wants to do_. I don't plan to die anytime soon, so there is no reason for her to waste her childhood learning how to succeed me."

"Oh good," Link cooed, then picked her book back up. Pleased, Ganondorf laid his head back in her lap, and continued rubbing her belly. After a few more minutes though, Link shifted and sat her book back down.

"What's wrong, my Queen?"

"Um, that... that... feels really good..."

Ganondorf gave Link a seductive grin, before leaning up and shutting off the lamp.

* * *

"Mama, your ears are all red."

"Oh, it's nothing Kira. I was just remembering how much Papa loved to talk to you," Link said, and blushed as she recalled how that night ended. How several nights after that ended, now that she thought about it, making her face even redder. The worst part was that she didn't know who to blame, him or her hormones.

"Mama, your face is purple now! Imma go get Papa."

"NO!" Link yelped and grabbed Kira, rolling her back onto the carpet. "No, don't bother Papa. Mama's face is just purple because she thought of something funny."

Kira giggled. "Oh, like how Papa's face got purple when I said I saw him giving you kissies in the hallway yesterday?"

Link's face turned from purple to blue. Shortly after Link put Kira down for her nap, Ganondorf had grabbed her and made love to her in a hallway where they thought no one was looking. "You... saw... us...?"

"Yeah I forgot teddy in the library so I went and got him and tucked myself back in like a big girl. Are you proud of me?"

"Yes," Link eked out, and resolved to have a chat with her husband about public exposure.


	22. Kira the Insomniac

"Mama! Tell me a story?"

Kira bounced up and down on her bed, not showing the slightest hint of being tired. Link smiled and caught her mid-bounce, plopping down on the bed together. "Of course I will, my little sunshine. What did you want to hear, the one about the cucco leader and the cats?"

"No, Mama, I wanna hear a true story!"

Link chuckled. Not even Ganondorf believed her when she said she used to talk to cats, and he knew what it was like to transform. "Okay, no kitty stories." _There goes half my repertoire..._ She thought for a second, before something came to mind. It was a little odd for a bedtime story, but she knew Kira would love it. After all, she inherited her father's taste in stories. "Do you want to hear about the time I ran through Castle Town as a wolf?"

"_Masaka_! Did people saw you?!" Kira resumed her bouncing.

"You've been hanging around your aunt Kona, haven't you?" Link chuckled at hearing the Gerudo language from the tyke. "But yes, not only did people see me, but I scared quite a few guards into running away."

Link paused and remembered how scared she had been at the time. Midna was dying from exposure to Lanayru's light, and being stabbed and shot at from the Castle Guard had slowed her down considerably. But that wasn't something she would tell Kira.

"I had to carry a friend to the castle for help, so that's why I ran into Castle Town. There's a secret entrance to the castle in the rich man's house, so I ran straight there." _Actually, Louise let me in the bar, but..._

"Rich man?"

_Oh, that's right. Gengle had Jovani's fortune donated._ "You know, the man with all the kitties in his yard? South of the silly doctor's house?"

"Oh, yeah, Dr. Boring."

"Borville. Anyway, the tunnel under the house leads straight into the sewers. I jumped in the tunnel, and landed right in front of the castle waterway." Link paused, unsure of how to continue. Maybe the spiders, or perhaps the rats?

"Mama, did the guards' boo-boos slow you down?"

"How did you know about that?!" Link stared in awe at her baby. She hadn't even told Ganondorf about that.

"'Cause you're rubbin your arm. You always rub your boo-boos when I ask about 'em."

_What a smart little girl._ "...Yes, I was hurt quite badly, actually. It was shortly after I entered the town. I made the mistake of running through the square, and a troop of soldiers weren't scared enough to flee. A few arrows hit my back, nothing too painful. But a spear was driven through my shoulder."

* * *

"Move it! The thing couldn't have gotten far!"

Link cowered behind the Gorons' supply crates, praying to The Three that humans couldn't smell blood as well as she could. The two arrows in her backside served as makeshift plugs and kept the blood in, but her shoulder was gushing. At this rate, she might not make it to the princess...

_No, don't think like that. Midna needs you._

Summoning her courage, Link dated out toward Telma's Bar. The lone guard she met on the way was frightened off with a simple baring of the teeth, and she was able to slip down the stairs. The door was open, so Link ran in without thinking. A hefty Goron tossed her back out as quickly as she had entered, and Link started cursing.

"Such language, young one."

Link whipped around, finding Telma's cat Louise standing in the window. "Here, get in through the window. The attic is connected to the castle's waterway. I assume that's where you're taking that... patient?"

Link wasted no time answering, choosing instead to shove the nearby crate to the window. Her front leg was aching and would probably not hold her weight, but to hell with it. Midna was dying. She vaulted up the crate and through the window, then made her way through the rafters.

"H-Hey! Don't just stand there! Get that ghost!"

Link blinked. Ghost? A knock to the head from a lantern brought her out of her trance, and she made quick work of the spirit. She had been on auto pilot after speaking with Louise and barely remembered plunking down in Jovani's riches, let alone agreeing to exorcise his house. But it was done, and she hobbled over to her reward.

Jumping into the chest had been a mistake. Link hit her injured shoulder going in, and the force knocked Midna from her back. The two fell what seemed like forever, finally splashing down into a spillway that emptied into a well.

_Midna?_

Link looked around, but couldn't see the little imp anywhere. It was dark enough to begin with, but blood loss and hypothermia from the water were blinding her.

"Li..n... He..re..."

_At least my ears still work._ Link swam over to where Midna drifted, finding a gate much like the ones they encountered the last trip through. She felt her way onto the stones beside the water, and was just able to reach the pull chain. The gate rose and the two were carried out of the well. Where they landed was even darker, and Link once more lost Midna.

_Mid... ugh..._

Link woke feeling groggy. When she opened her eyes she met with cold stone steps, a bright glow emanating from either side. She turned her head in confusion. There wasn't even as much as a sliver of light before she lost consciousness, but now there were torches along the walls. A soft coo caught her attention, and she looked down to find Midna laying against her belly.

_Maybe I dragged her here..._

Link sat up, testing weight on her front paw. It still hurt, but not enough to keep her from walking. She was slightly alarmed when she noticed the arrows were no longer sticking from her hindquarters, but maybe they snapped off in the fall. She pulled Midna onto her back and took off up the steps.

* * *

"But Mama, how could you pull Midna up when you couldn't move? And who lit the torches?"

"I don't know, baby. They must have been there and I was just too out of it to notice. But you'll find out one day that when you're protecting someone you care for, your body tends to ignore its ailments." Link kissed Kira's forehead, and tucked her in. "All that matters is that I made it to the princess and Midna was saved."

"But how did Sh... Zelda fix her? I wanna know."

"In the morning, cutie."

* * *

"Papa! Tell me a story?"

This time it was Ganondorf's turn to tuck Kira the Insomniac in for bed. "And what kind of story does the Princess of Hyrule request of her humble servant?"

"Papa! No sillies!"

Ganondorf laughed. He absolutely adored his daughter. The four year old was as stubborn as he was, and was quickly learning that she could control him. "Alright, no sillies. What story did Mama tell you last night?"

"She told me about how she was a woof and ran through the town with her friend to get to the castle but she didn't tell the whole thing!"

Ganondorf cocked his brow. "Oh? Where did she stop?"

"In the water. And the torches. Who lit the torches? I wanna know."

"Okay, then I'll finish it for you," Ganondorf grabbed Kira from her bounces and slid her under the covers. "There is a hidden castle below this one, very old and very spooky."

"Papa! No silly words!"

"As you wish, love." _Such a smart little girl._ "It was abandoned, unneeded after Hyrule's shift to a peaceful society. You see, it leads to the dungeons and was used to send out spies to the neighboring territories."

"During the Sealing War?"

"You've been sneaking peeks at my books again, haven't you?" Ganondorf smirked when she coyly confessed. "But yes, you are correct. The spillway leading to the hidden entrance still exists, and various houses in the town can access it. One day, a noble beast carrying an injured friend used it to reach the castle. But the beast was mislabeled as a threat, and the foolish Castle Guard attacked it. The beast managed to enter the spillway despite her injuries, but succumbed to them just after reaching the hidden entrance."

"Suk...umed?"

"It means the poor beast was hurting so badly that she passed out when she hit the water. The beast and her friend were about to drown, when a passing soul plucked them from the water. At first the soul was curious, such creatures don't usually come to the castle. He was about to toss them out, when the beast blinked at him. Her eyes were only open a second, but it was enough for the soul to see their beautiful blue color. He realized then that the pair were meant for more than a cold death beneath the castle, and so he healed the beast's injuries and made sure the path before them was clear."

"That was nice."

"Yes it was. Now sleep, and perhaps tomorrow you will hear more of the story."

Kira rolled over with her stuffed rabbit, and Ganondorf waited until he heard snoozing before leaving. He closed her door, and was turning toward his quarters when a green blur jumped out and pulled his head down into a surprise kiss.

"You..." Link purred once they broke for air. "You saved me from drowning in the sewer."

"Surprised?"

Link mewled as Ganondorf scooped her up, and curled her fingers through his hair. "Of course I am. We were enemies then!"

"I just couldn't allow such potential to be snuffed out because of a few foolish guards and their lucky shots, even if it might lead to my downfall. And besides, you make such a cute wolf, I couldn't help it."

Link blushed. "I... I see. But that still doesn't explain how you got out of the Twilight Realm! I wanna know!"

Ganondorf let out a hearty laugh as he laid his wife on their bed. "In the morning, cutie."

* * *

**A/N: Another silly thought- why were those torches lit in the sewer? Combined with a desire to write more Kira and here you have it!**


	23. Midna

**A/N: I just want to preface this by saying that I think Zant is adorable, and not just in a crazy manchild kind of way. But every story needs a villain, and unfortunately he has to play that role since Ganon is not. This started off as a mini-rambling, and quickly became 3000 words. Whoopsie.**

**WARNING! This chapter is still rated T, but there is some recollection of near-rape physical abuse in the first third. If that's a problem, skip to the middle division to read about cute Kira and her first festival.**

* * *

Link stood on the balcony, watching Ganondorf teach their daughter Kira how to ride a horse. He led her on his stallion Vengeance, while Epona and their foal Freya grazed nearby. Link hadn't intended to breed the horses, but Epona made the decision for her and Link was not one to stop love. Freya was beautiful, inheriting Epona's coat and Vengeance's mane and tail colors, and the little foal was already Kira's best friend.

_Best friend..._

Link sighed and went back to her room, flopping down on the couch. It had been six long years since she parted with one of her dearest friends, and not a day went by that she didn't think of Midna.

The two spent a year of hell together, enduring the curse Zant had placed upon Hyrule. Link had forgiven Ganondorf for his part in the matter, after all he had merely shown Zant the way out of the Twilight Realm. But she could never overcome the pain of the usurper's attacks, and to this day, shied away when Ganondorf touched the scars Zant left behind on her torso.

"Lost in thought?"

Link looked up from the couch when she heard her husband's voice, and nodded in agreement. "Where's Kira? Are you two finished already?"

"She wanted to watch Aveil reshoe one of the horses. It must be the Ordonian blood in her," Ganondorf remarked as he sat beside Link. "Now tell me what it is that bothers you."

"...It's nothing."

"You were clutching those scars again, I saw you. The only time you ever do that is when you think of that Twili." Ganondorf sighed and patted her stomach. He knew exactly who was bothering her thoughts. "I never asked because I knew the memories brought you pain. But I must know, what exactly did Zant do to you?"

Link closed her eyes and leaned on Ganondorf's shoulder. "...The first time was in Lanayru's cave, right before he hurt Midna. I had just escaped the Lakebed Temple, and was vulnerable. He came up behind me and shoved me into the dirt, sticking his fingers in my wounds and mocking me for being careless. Lanayru interrupted, but he sealed the spirit away. The cave turned to twilight, and he attacked Midna. I tried to jump in, but then he did this to me."

Link brushed her bangs to the side, and unhooked her circlet. She pointed to her forehead, where the faintest of scars sat right above her eyebrows. It was so light that Ganondorf had never noticed it before. "He drove a black stone into my skull. The pain knocked me out almost instantly, but Lanayru was able to dull it enough for me to make it to the castle. When Midna was healed, we left for the Sacred Grove and I was healed by the Master Sword."

"So the sword really is a living relic... It was wise enough to recognize you in that form and to return you to normal," Ganondorf mused. "How fortunate that you arrived unscathed."

"It wasn't that easy, he was watching the whole time. The shadow beasts found me in the grove, and again when I entered the desert in search of the mirror. He was following me too, and found me in the temple. He used his dark magic to revive Stallord, but not before doing this." This time, Link undid her ponytail and exposed a jagged scar hidden by her hair, just above where her skull met her neck. "I was a wolf at the time, otherwise I wouldn't have made it."

Each new scar she revealed fueled Ganondorf's anger, but it was her final recollection that made him lose his temper. "The last time we met, he... sigh..." Link buried herself in Ganondorf's arms before continuing. "I told you about the castle attack, that's where I got the scars on my stomach, and I told you that Midna killed him with the Fused Shadow."

"Yes, you did. I remember it took quite the lashing to incite her to use that power on me. She was clearly afraid of its effects, so why was she willing to use the power on a weakling like Zant? "

"...Because he was the one responsible for the scars on the inside of my legs."

Ganondorf gasped. He had seen the bright red gashes lining her thighs on the night after their battle, when he was dressing her wounds. At the time, he thought they were just part of the hero's collection of battle scars. But after putting the pieces together- panicking around the rear pavilion, shying away when he touched her scars, and staring sadly into the distance when reminiscing- he realized how wrong he had originally been.

Ganondorf gripped the edge of the couch so tightly, it started to tear. "Link... did he...?"

"He found out I wasn't a boy when he sliced open my tunic at my ribs, and that angered him." Link was starting to tremble, but she gathered her courage to finish. "He said he refused to be outdone by a pair of girls and launched at us, knocking Midna unconscious and pinning me to the ground. That's when he started... 'punishing' me."

Ganondorf held Link tight as she started sobbing and clutching her chest. It was clearly a traumatic event, and Ganondorf feared for the worst. He considered himself to be a ruthless bastard in battle, but this was one thing he would never do. No matter the sexes involved, rape was a capital offense among the Gerudo.

As if sensing his unease, Link's crying slowed. Grateful for his concern, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "It's okay, he didn't get the chance. Thank Farore, Nayru, and Din that Midna woke in time to stop him. I didn't understand at the time what he was going to do or why it made me so scared, I just locked up. The pain was so bad, and I couldn't focus. I don't think I would have made it to battle with you had he done what he was intending, and even afterward I didn't leave my bed for a week."

"I owe Midna a debt of gratitude then. Were the bastard still alive, I would have done more than kill him for what he did to you." Ganondorf pulled Link close, and gently kissed the faded scar on her forehead. "He was a pathetic creature, useful only as leverage to escape the Twilight Realm. He covered Hyrule in twilight instead of weakening the castle guard as I commanded."

"We both owe Midna our gratitude," Link replied with a sad smile. "I could tell it hurt her to do so, but she explained what he tried to do to me, and held my hand through the aftermath. She stayed with me in a house in the Twilight Realm as I was recovering. I was not as physically injured as I was in the battle with you or with the demon in the Arbiter's Grounds, but I couldn't move at all. There just wasn't any reason to, even knowing that you were holding Zelda in the castle.

"I remember the moment I faced you in Eldin Field, I felt like my spirit was broken. Hurting Zelda was hard enough, but changing back and forth between a wolf and a human to fight you really drained me. If the ordeal with Zant never happened, I probably would have beaten you. But I just had no strength left."

"Don't think that way, kid," Ganondorf said as he fluffed her hair. "I don't want you believing that his abuse was the catalyst for all you have now. Exhausted or not, the hero's courage alone is not enough to overcome power. I can feel it, all the way back to my ancestors. Every time a boy or girl in green stood before them, they always gave the hero a sliver of opportunity which led to their own defeat. Me, I probably would have done the same. I could never kill someone as cute as you. Especially since you've only given me a single child so far..."

Link laughed and pinched Ganondorf's roving hand. "Stop that, you lecher."

* * *

Fall came swiftly, and with it, the annual Gerudo Festival of Spirit. Thanks to her status as their savior, Link was appointed to represent the Goddess of the Sand, and now that Kira was old enough, she joined as a "goddess in training". They would dance in honor of the Goddess at the conclusion.

The festival was held at the oasis outside of the temple, and consisted of a series of games and performances celebrating the life and resilience of the Gerudo people. Flame dancers showed off their new routines in an homage to Din. Aveil led the archers in a horseback contest, celebrating their versatility as warriors. But most interesting of all was Kona's spar against Ganondorf, from which the winner would take Link's side in the finale.

Kona wore standard Gerudo dress, a tan halter and harem pants, while Ganondorf chose to forgo armor in favor of speed and wore only trousers. He restrained his Triforce given abilities, but apart from that, the two didn't hold back against each other. Kona got in a few strong slashes on his chest and arms during the naginata round, which Ganondorf returned during the Hylian straight sword round.

The final round used the trademark Gerudo weapon, the scimitar. Ganondorf kept up the offensive, until a pretty distraction caught his eye. Link and Kira had emerged from the crowd, after being prepared for the final ceremony. Link's golden hair was pulled back into a high tail, with Gerudo ornaments on her crown and ringlets by her ears. Kira had less hair to work with, instead wearing pigtails and a flower garland. Their dresses matched, golden brown off the shoulder styles with white, open sleeves for their dance.

"_Osoi!_"

Ganondorf didn't hear Kona yell until a sword grazed his face, leaving him with a bleeding cheek and causing him to drop his weapon from surprise. A mix of cheers and gasps rang out from the crowd, and the official came forth to raise Kona's hand.

"Lord Ganondorf drops his weapon. Victory goes to Kona!"

"Yah ha ha! I've finally beaten you, little brother, what say you to that?"

Ganondorf said nothing, moving immediately to Link and Kona.

"Mama, Papa's all bwuddy," Kira commented as Link pulled out a scarf to wipe his cheek. "Don't let him bweed on the pretty dresses!"

"Don't worry, Kira, I promise not to touch either of you," he answered, avoiding Link's outstretched hand. "The rules are very clear, 'don't touch the Goddess after her cleansing'. But as soon as the ceremony is over..."

"Wipe your cheek and get dressed, Ganon," Link scolded, trying to get her mind off just how _tantalizing_ he looked. Bare chest, fitted pants, hair knocked loose from his headdress, and those cuts... Link never found pleasure in pain, but she couldn't help noticing how good his bronze skin looked peppered with the small red scrapes. She had to admit, it was exhilarating watching Ganondorf battle. She had never seen him as lithe as he was during the scimitar round, and if not for his small hesitation, she was sure the battle would have continued far into the night. "You know how angry the elders will be if you bleed all over the stage," she mumbled. A part of her looked forward to spending the rest of the night attending to his wounds.

When the king returned, clothed with a hasty bandage thrown on his cheek, the closing ceremony started. Every year, the Gerudo paid homage to their protector, the Goddess of the Sand, through a ceremonial dance. Kira led the dance flawlessly, having practiced every night for the last six weeks in anticipation. Link provided musical accompaniment on her ocarina, a wedding gift from Zelda that had once been a royal heirloom.

The final act of the ceremony celebrated the birth of the Gerudo, and was the reason Link needed to be cleansed beforehand. The Gerudo did not worship The Three equally, instead directing their prayers to Din. When the land was first formed, The Three left it in the care of their divine servant Hylia. However, she was not alone on the surface, and soon found Demise, the only one amongst the land of mortals that could be called her equal. It was forbidden, but the two were drawn to each other. Their coupling angered The Three, and as punishment, the child born from their union was taken away from them. But Din took pity, and sent the innocent girl to live amongst the land Farore had forsaken. The child became the Goddess of the Sand, and was mother to all desert creatures.

Link now had to perform the part of Hylia and offer her symbolic purity to her equal, hence the cleansing. She stood at the end of the stage, waiting for Kona. As the winner of the exhibition, she had the right to play the part of Demise. Link closed her eyes in thought, pondering the irony of a Hylian playing the most important role in a Gerudo ceremony. Just then, she was pulled forward and a hot set of lips met her own.

"I claim thee as my own, Goddess, as my one and only equal. Our blood shall merge inside you, and the child born from our union shall be strong."

Link was taken aback by Ganondorf's appearance, and almost missed her lines. "M-may I ask my Creators to forgive my trespasses, and to have mercy on my child that was not to be. I must forsake you to keep her safe, but I will treasure her as the memory of our union."

Ganondorf was pleased at Link's recitation, and kissed her again to end the ceremony.

* * *

"You're late."

"Maybe if I had help putting Kira to bed, I would have been here sooner. That and the temple is ridiculously hard to navigate in this dress." Link sat on the ground in Stallord's chamber, pulling her shoes off and shaking out the sand. "Why did I have to meet you up here, again? And why couldn't I change first?"

"Because I wanted to enjoy that getup in private." Ganondorf picked Link up and carried her across the platform towards the Mirror Chamber, sparing her tired feet.

"What did you have to do to get Kona to give up her spot? She always said she wanted to perform in the ceremony."

"I surprised you, didn't I? She wanted to spend a few weeks in Termina with her daughter, and I was happy to oblige. Especially since I got to take your 'purity' in return."

Link blushed, but otherwise stayed silent as Ganondorf carried her up the crumbled stairwell. When they reached the top, both took long stares at the black monolith in the center of the arena.

"I guess it's odd to revisit the spot where I was executed," Ganondorf mused, while Link hung her head. An empty mirror stand nearby was the cause. He let her down and she walked over to it, running her fingers along the rim.

"...Why did you have to send her away?"

"The Twilight Realm is a dark place. What you saw was only the central part, where civilization lies. What I saw was hell, full of twisted creatures that were once Gerudo and Sheikah and were banished by the brutish Royal Family. I realize now that my decision was somewhat hastily made, and with enough effort, those places could have been saved. But she did as asked and destroyed the mirror. We have no way of getting back there."

Link frowned in disappointment, and leaned against Ganondorf's shoulder.

"...I never said that _they_ have no way of getting back _here_."

She looked up, and as if on cue, the ground around them started to glow. A few seconds later a bright flash stole their vision, and when it faded, there was another among them.

"What's this, I thought you said she'd be here! All I see is a filly in a pretty dress."

Link spun around, and choked up almost instantly. She flew out of Ganondorf's arms, and grabbed the one before her. Six years may have passed, but Link never forgot that scent, the sound of that voice, or the look in those eyes. Midna. Midna was here, and for once, Link wasn't going to wake up and find it all to be a dream.

Midna hugged Link back, teeth bare in a wide grin. "Hey, leggo, you're squeezing me too tight! ...Are you crying? She's crying. What happened to the headstrong wolf? You went through everything under the sun, and yet you cry just from seeing me again? Dumb doggy!" The two laughed and hugged each other tighter. Link was still sobbing, but she managed to get out a "how".

"You can thank Zelda," Ganondorf answered. "I figured if anyone would know a way to get back there, it would be the embodiment of Wisdom. She still dislikes me, but she was willing to help after I told her how much you missed the imp."

"Do I look like an imp, _shorty_?"

"You're only taller than me because of that cape and crown. Anyway, Zelda was able to send a message through, and it turns out the mirror wasn't totally destroyed."

Midna giggled. "You said to destroy it, you never said how. I shattered it, but sent the pieces through with me. We just never had any way of putting them back together. Zelda figured out that if we forged a new mirror with the old pieces mixed in, she could relay the enchantment needed to make it work again. Ta-da!"

Link was overjoyed. "I missed you so much," she said between sniffles.

"If you ladies will excuse me," Ganondorf announced. "I'll be with Kira tonight if you need me." He kissed Link's cheek before departing, leaving the friends to reminisce.

Once Ganondorf was gone, Midna took a step back and sized up Link. "Okay, spill it. What was that kiss? And I was watching before I showed up, you were cuddled up against him. Plus you're wearing girly clothes and matching jewelry. Never mind the fact you look freaking _adorable_. Did he do that? And who's Kira? Why's he kissing you and then spending the night with some other girl? Hold on, he's the bad guy, right? But how come then he got Zelda to help him call me? This makes no sense!"

Link had to laugh. Midna may have regained her rightful appearance, but she kept the impish wit. "Let's go inside, I have a lot to tell you."

"And since when do you talk!?"

* * *

**A/N: Here's to Midna! A BAMF if I ever saw one. Nobody hurts her doggie buddy and gets away with it.**

**Yay for Gerudo festivals! I got the idea for the Gerudo heritage from a wonderful fic by thesingingbone over on AO3. Link and Kira's dress is supposed to be similar to the coronation dress in Anastasia, though not as poofy I guess. I just really love the sleeves.**

**I apologize again for Zant's behavior. The attack mentioned in the original story was basically a spin attack gone wrong. But then I was thinking, Link went through some real hell in that game, why would she lock up after remembering some simple slashes? I also believe that somewhere along the line, male Link had to put up with the same situation. (Imagine what terrible things the OOT Gerudo women might have done to him, or worse, Ghira and that tongue!)**


	24. Puppy Love

**A/N: There's a marvelous picture of an adult Ralis on pixiv, and I totally went for it. Our little girl definitely has good taste. **

* * *

_Long ago, in the days before people rode horses and instead rode birds, there was a proud king. The king could defeat anyone who blocked his path, and thus always conquered his enemies. One of his enemies was the land now called Hyrule, and in no time, the king invaded._

_"Their defenses are weak," he boasted, and sent dark armies to snuff out the warriors of light. His warriors succeeded, besting all of the land's defenders save one. The one who stood in his way was not a soldier, but rather a farmer who had been drafted into the army. The soldier was not trained for battle, and was already heavily injured by the king's general._

_Despite injury, the king could not bring himself to defeat the farmer. For the farmer had something the king lacked- femininity. The farmer was a young girl, forced to fight under the guise of manhood. She..._

"Papa, I know this story! Itsa bout how you and mama met. The girl's name is Wink and she fought cause she had a piece of the Twiforce. She wost and the king took her in, fawing in wove with her cause she was the pwettiest and cleverest girl in the whole kindgom."

Ganondorf smiled and sat down his strategy book. He had been faking the story in order to catch up on his tactical reading, and Kira had caught him, plain and simple. "Okay, so you've heard that story before. What would you like me to read you?"

"Mama said this was a history wesson, not storytime," the little princess boldly corrected, all the while crawling under the king's desk and digging through the tomes on the floor. "Dis one."

"_Kompendium Aquatica_? Kira, why on earth do you want me to read from a book about the Zoras? Pick something else." The king started to shelve the book, before noticing that her smile had faded and turned to tears. "Oh, don't be sad, I'll read it."

Kira's happy face sprung back, and she bounded up into her father's lap. "Make sure you read me the part about the woyal family."

Ganondorf suddenly understood why she had picked such a dull book. "Your mother let you play with the Zora king again, didn't she?"

"Maaaabye..." Kira blushed and rolled around. "Ralis is super nice to me. He gave me a pwetty earring, but I can't wear it yet so Mama made it into a necklace. I really like Ralis."

...

Kira ran back to her bedroom after her "history lesson", finding her mother changing the bedsheets.

"Mama!"

Link caught the girl and hugged her tight. "How was your lesson?"

"We talked about Ralis's family! But I think Papa wanted to talk about somefing else. He kept sighing and mumbling about 'fishy disend tents', whatever those are."

The hero couldn't contain her chuckle. "It's okay, Kira, I'll talk to him. I'm not afraid of 'fishy disend tents'. Why don't you take a break from lessons and go see if Aveil needs help in the stable?" Kira nodded and ran off.

...

Ganondorf hunched over his desk, signing various papers and reading over treaties, when a knock interrupted him.

"I hear the King of Hyrule is worried about fishy descendents..."

He looked up and found Link in the doorway. Turning back to his papers, he grumbled. "I can understand the puppy love of a five year old, but what I can't understand is the seventeen year old who thinks it proper to encourage such thoughts."

"Ralis is a kind soul, and would be an excellent husband. If they want each other when she is of age, I will not oppose." Link sat on the edge of the desk and flipped through a few papers. "What I will oppose is any marriage made for territory or alliance..."

"You need not tell me that, I am in agreement. But you have a lot of work ahead of you if you think you can persuade me to accept a Zora. My people have a sordid history with them, stemming from their refusal to help bring water to the desert."

"Hylians have a sordid history with the Gerudo..." Link mumbled in response as she left the room.

* * *

Nose buried in a book, seven year old Kira walked down the halls of Hyrule Castle. When she reached her destination she quickly slid the tome into her dress pocket, and pushed open the door. "Mama, I brought the books you wanted from the library..."

"Thank you, Kira. Bring them over here, if you would," Link motioned to the table next to her bed. "I would have gotten them myself, but..."

Kira shook off her mother's apology. "No, Mama. The doctor said you have to stay in bed until the baby comes. Besides, Papa would get mad."

"And we don't want that," Link chuckled, rubbing her swollen stomach. "So what book is that in your pocket?"

The princess acquiesced to her mother's question, and pulled it out. "I was reading how to make hair ornaments from coral. But it looks like the only type malleable enough grows on the sea floor, meaning I'll never get a chance to get some. I had at least hoped to make something to match my earring..."

"What if I told you I had another coral earring in my gear chest?"

Kira lit up, and dove into the box with her mother's approval. Wrapped up at the bottom was a fishing rod, with an earring tied to the hook. She gingerly detached it and held it up to the window to see it better. "It's adorable! But why was it tied to a fishing rod?"

Link shifted from a baby kick. "Years ago I had to track down a 'monster' for the people of the Domain. It turned out to be our friend Yeto, but the only clue we had at the time was his love of reekfish. And there was only one other man who could catch them..."

"This was from King Ralis?!" Kira jumped in excitement. "Did he give you anything else?"

"Sit up here." Kira crawled onto the bed beside her mother, and Link fastened the earring in place on the girl's empty ear. "Kira, honey... I want you to know something. Ralis will be twenty soon, and that's a very important age for Zora kings. His advisors are going to want him to take a wife, and to continue his line."

"I know."

"I don't think they'd be willing to wait another ten years for that to happen."

Kira understood her mother's meaning, and hung her head. "The last time he came to visit, he said my eyes were beautiful. _Kompendium Aquatica_ says that to the Zora, praising the eyes is the highest compliment one can give. ...But I guess you're right. Papa would kill me anyways," she mumbled as an afterthought. She slunk out of the bed, and as she opened the door, Link saw tears coming to her eyes. The queen then resolved to make her firstborn happy.

...

"You are looking healthy, Your Majesty. I take it the child will be coming within the next couple months?"

"Yes, Ralis, though I feel as though this little bundle is much more active than Kira ever was," Link joked as she entertained the Zora king. "Thank you for coming out to visit me. You will be of age this year, right?"

"Yes, and in case I ever forget, I'm reminded by the councilors at least twice a day. I never thought I'd hear myself say that I envy Ganondorf. How did he get away with having no council?"

"The Gerudo model of rule never had one," Link explained. "But Ganon has kept good faith by clearing his decisions with a small panel; Darbus, my uncle Rusl, Zelda when she's not hiding, and yourself of course. But this is not why I called you today. It's about Kira."

Ralis let out a small smile. "How is the princess? Is she excited for her new sibling?"

"Oh come on, sharkbait, you know what I'm talking about," Link joked, using Midna's nickname for the Zora boy. "I don't know how you did it, but you have my daughter infatuated with you. Now how are we going to handle this?"

"The same way my councilors will handle my refusal to marry, I suppose."

"Berating you will do me little good. Do you want a betrothal contract?"

"No," Ralis emphatically denied. "For the moment, I consider us to be friends, and that's as far as I'll go until she can make the decision for herself. I know the king is against the idea, and I'm certain every councilor in the Domain would have a heart attack if the royal heirs were a quarter Gerudo and a quarter Ordonian. But I will drop everything in a second once I'm sure it's what she wants."

"Really now? Even if those councilors threaten to depose you?"

"You don't know what it feels like to have your heart stolen by a three year old who declared you the 'pwettiest fishie I'be ebar seen,'" Ralis said in an imitation of Kira's childhood lisp. "I feel like some kind of criminal. She's a beautiful little girl, with her entire childhood ahead of her, and she's already thinking of marriage. I'm going to be an adult by my culture soon, and I'm in love with a baby!"

Link sat up and took the Zora's hand. "Ralis, don't think like that. The Zora people are very long lived. In the scheme of things, the two of you are equivalent ages. Besides, you still look the same as when Ilia found you along the road. Kira may even end up taller than you."

"Don't tease me!" The two monarchs laughed, and spent the rest of the visit reminiscing.

* * *

Kira leaned on her chair and sighed. Last night was another dream about her love. The 2920th one since her mother shot her down, in fact. Eight whole years of longing... Peering out the window at the rising sun, the princess couldn't help but wish things had been different. That she was older, or that he wasn't a king.

A servant shuffling around out in the hall caught her attention. Sure enough, the woman entered the room and gave Kira a stare.

"Princess, you are awake! What's this, your fire's been stoked? And you are already wearing day clothes? This is not the manner to which a princess should act. Servants take care of the fire, and the clothing for your fifteenth birthday celebration has already been chosen," the portly woman scolded. She was Mortia, a former attendant to Princess Zelda and quite stuck in her ways.

"My mother single handedly ripped the tongue from a Deku Toad and scooped the eye off the back of a dragon thousands of feet off the ground, yet I can't be bothered to stoke my own fire? Such nonsense," she answered without ever taking her eyes from the window. "As for the birthday clothes you can forget it. I have better things to do than stand in front of a room of people I've never met and pretend to be interested in their mouth breathing sons."

"Princess Kira, you are royalty, and royalty has certain obligations," Mortia answered in a heartbeat. This conversation nearly mirrored one she'd had with Zelda at that age. "Your father has done much for the land of Hyrule, but he still needs the support of its neighbors. You can help create bonds..."

"In return for spreading my legs for some stranger, yeah okay. I find it hard to believe a man raised in a society of women can stand for that _detarame_."

"Princess Kira! Your language is not becoming of a lady, and mixing tongues is poor form. I will be back with your breakfast after I check on your sister, I hope you have better words when I return."

The door was barely shut before Kira pulled a scabbard from beneath her bed, then flung open the window and leapt out.

...

Freya was ready to go, the horse always knew when Kira needed her. The pair snuck out of the castle stables, out of the exit in East Hyrule Field, and took off toward the north part of the province. The princess had one destination in mind.

Her contact with Ralis had dwindled more than she wanted, and she suspected her father was to blame. Ralis was suddenly too busy to make his weekly visits to the castle, and had stopped attending Ganondorf's tactical meetings. She only ever got to see him at royal functions- the birth of her sister Fi, her own birthday celebrations, the parades for Lanayru's Feast, etc. They still wrote letters, but Ralis had become increasingly vague when Kira asked about his feelings. A disturbing rumor that he was to wed the leader of the Terminan Zora scared her senseless, and it finally got to the point where she had to hear the truth from him.

Kira left Freya at the entrance to Upper Zora's River, and padded through the tunnel leading to the Domain. The autumn wind was fierce, and whipped her skirts around her legs as she pressed onward. It was nearing noon now, but the cooling weather caused most of the Zora to stay underwater. Only the regularly stationed guards remained outside.

"You, young lady, what brings you to the Domain? You should be home in front of a fire," a throne room guard said as she stopped Kira. "One misstep here and you could fall into the icy water."

"I... I came to see the King," Kira answered. It seemed that the Zora did not recognize her. Kira's dress was nothing fancy, a simple blue peasant dress that she used when she wanted to sneak into town unnoticed, but without a hood the princess definitely stood out. Her father's hair, her mother's ears, and her own distinctive jade eyes usually dispelled any attempt at disguise. But maybe this was a chance...

"I'm sorry, young lady, but King Ralis can't take any visitors today. He's having a very important meeting with a special lady about his future, and we can't disturb him. Not when we're this close to finally having a second monarch."

Kira recoiled from shock, her fingers gripping the sleeves of her dress until her knuckles turned white. "He... he's... with a lady...?"

"Of course. Princess Lulu came from Termina at his request. It seems he has a lot he wants to discuss with her," the guard winked, not realizing that Kira had hung her head. "But I suppose you could hang around until he has a free moment... He might be able to see you. The king has a lot of love for your kind, you know."

Kira wandered away, sitting down at the edge of the waterfall and watching the dragonflies. "He really is getting married... Why wouldn't he tell me?" She drew circles in the sand, trying her best to hold back tears. Some minutes later a small commotion caught her attention, and she turned around to see people exiting the throne room. She had to stand on the balls of her feet to see, but sure enough Ralis was among them, with a Zora woman hanging on his arm.

Her heart fell, and with it came the tears she'd been holding back. The guard from earlier whispered something to the king, and suddenly he spun around to look in her direction. Ralis looked annoyed, and it hit Kira even harder. She took a step backward, and slipped.

...

"Kira?" Ralis knew there was only one Hylian who would ever come to see him, and quickly looked around for her. He found her near the edge of the waterfall, but his happy expression turned sour. It was a windy day, and she could easily lose balance that close to the edge. And was she crying? His step forward caused her to take a step backward, and she lost her footing.

Ralis dove into the stream, quicker in water than he was on land, and reached the waterfall just as she fell over. He leapt from the stream and caught her, then held her tight as the two tumbled into the basin below.

* * *

Kira woke up coughing, swaddled in a large cape and carried through unfamiliar hallways. She instinctively pulled the cape around her tighter, and nuzzled into the person carrying her. She was freezing cold, and wanted to draw every bit of warmth available to her.

Her carrier brought her into a much warmer room than the hall, and laid her on top of a squishy bed. "You'll be a lot warmer in here, Sunshine."

_Sunshine...? The only one who calls me that is..._ "R...Ralis?"

"The one and only."

Kira wormed out of the cape. The smile and bright green eyes looking back at her were indeed the Zora king's. "What happened?"

"The wind knocked you off balance, and you slipped over the edge of the waterfall. I caught you and we hit the water together, though I'm worried you might be sick from exposure. Where are your outergarments? Did you ride Freya here all alone in the cold?"

"...I ran away."

Ralis's eyes widened. "Ran away? Oh Sunshine, why ever would you do such a thing?"

Kira curled into the cape and rolled toward the wall. "I couldn't stand what they had planned for me, and I just had to know if the rumors about you were true. But now that I'm here, I wish I had jumped into Death Mountain Volcano instead."

"There are rumors about me floating around Castle Town?"

"...You're getting married."

Ralis leaned back and smiled. "Ah, yes, I guess that would be big news. I had planned on announcing it tonight at the Castle, but I guess everyone found out a little early."

Kira sniffled and let out a grumble. "I wish you and your new wife congratulations. Now leave me to mourn."

"We won't be marrying for another two years."

"Isn't that nice."

"I don't know... The bride is rather eager. She's been wanting this for as long as I can remember."

"Good for her." Venom dripped from Kira's words.

"I imagine she has the whole thing planned out already. Floor length dress with blues and purples, jewels from her parents adorning her crown alongside coral earrings..."

"Hmph."

"Lilies and ribbons woven into her curled, strawberry blonde hair..."

"Ugly," Kira snorted, before abruptly sitting up. "Wait a second, Zoras don't have hair."

Ralis smiled at her, like a puppy who found his bone.

"You're teasing me."

He shook his head.

"But I saw you with that girl Zora! She was hanging around your arm!"

"My cousin Lulu from Termina, in town to offer us congratulations. She's grabby."

"There were all these foreign dignitaries and their sons that were coming to my birthday ceremony..!"

"It was really supposed to be a surprise engagement party, that was just the cover story."

"No way, my father will kill us!"

"Link will make sure that doesn't happen."

Kira curled up in shock. "How am I the last one to know about my own future?"

"I don't think your horse knows yet... But Sunshine, you've known this was going to happen since you were three years old." Ralis started chuckling, which made Kira crawl out of her cocoon and pull on his ear fins.

"You meanie! You big, blue, sharkbait MEANIE!" Kira smiled and started scolding the Zora king, until he silenced her with a quick and chaste kiss.

When they parted, Ralis draped a blue dragon scale around her neck. "Happy birthday, Kira my queen."

Kira's pouting face disappeared, turning into a grin as she inspected the gift. She leaned over and kissed him again, then buried her face in his neck. "I got so scared when your visits lessened... Then you got so vague in your letters when I asked how you felt. I was scared you didn't love me anymore. This morning I just had to get away. My soul led me here, but the guard said your people were so close to finally having their second monarch, and I..."

"Silly Sunshine, the guard was talking about you." Ralis smoothed out Kira's hair. "The truth is, for a while now I've been making it clear to my people that they're not getting a Zora queen. Funnily enough, the only ones that objected were my father's stuffy councilors. They want purebred heirs."

"...Maybe my father can commiserate with them. He's not too pleased with the idea of 'fishy grandchildren' after all." The two laughed and held each other tightly.

"Come on. I have to get you back to Hyrule Castle before I have the Gerudo army at my doorstep."

"Aww. But I'd much rather cuddle with you here... Alright, I'll go back on one condition. Close your eyes."

Ralis did as told, and was suddenly tackled to the floor with a warm set of lips pressed against his own. He wrapped his arms around his bride-to-be and held her close, caressing her neck and back and continuing the kiss until they could no longer breathe.

"It must be your Gerudo half that makes you such an excellent kisser."

"Between the naughty comics I got from Aunt Midna and all the things I caught Papa doing to Mama, I think you'll find I have quite the open mind..."

Ralis helped Kira to her feet, and wrapped her in an evening coat. Smoothing her mussed hair, he whispered in her ear. "Keep your thoughts centered on actions that **won't** get me eviscerated for the next two years, and maybe I'll still have the parts to please you on our wedding night."

Kira blushed, then took her betrothed's hand. "Two years can't come soon enough."

* * *

**A/N: There's a reason Link and Ganondorf's second child is named Fi. I would eventually like to pair her up with Midna's son, and guess what I'm naming him. ;)**


	25. Fi Makes a Friend

The younger Dragmire princess was born sickly. Little Fi came a month earlier than she should have, weighing a scant three pounds and looking as white as a sheet. Her brilliant blue eyes were the only color on her body, even her hair was as white as her skin.

As Fi grew, her skin and hair remained pale, and her blue eyes began to show flecks of purple. "Sun sickness" the doctors called it, a disease of old harmless to Sheikah but which tended to kill Gerudo. Thus, Fi couldn't go outside without layers of dark clothing covering her skin and hair.

Her appearance was a source of grief from others. The local children would mock her protective clothing, make fun of her colorless hair and purple eyes, and tell her she was not a Gerudo. Even perfectly innocuous things like the stuffed jellyfish she carried everywhere brought ridicule, and before long, Fi refused to be around other people.

Princess Kira was highly protective of Fi, and was rumored to break the toes of whomever insulted her little sister. Kira helped Fi stylize her clothing, and taught the younger princess how to sew. Before long, Fi had turned her boring protective suits into beautiful outfits.

Because of her fragility, Ganondorf and Link did not train Fi with weapons. Instead, they focused on words, using the enormous castle library and the king's own private collections to sharpen her wit. Fi had read everything in sight by the time she was five, often using the library as a sanctuary from the bullies. She liked cuddling up on her father's lap for fairy tales, sleeping in Kira's arms while their mother told them stories from her past, and using the larger books as the base of a blanket fort.

Fi was sleeping in the middle of one such fort when she heard a commotion. The door clanged shut and she heard what sounded like a chair scraping against the floor. Coming out to investigate, she saw a young boy roughly her age hiding behind another chair that wasn't propped against the door.

"What are you doing in here...?"

The boy jumped at Fi's voice; she was barely audible for being scared (and for hiding behind her jellyfish), but his long ears picked up her voice right away. When he turned her way, she realized he was not quite Hylian. His ears were dual toned gray and charcoal, black lines zigzaged up his neck, and he bore a diamond shaped birthmark below his left eye.

The strange boy sighed when he saw it was just a little girl, and ran his fingers through silver-blue bangs. "I was trying to hide, but I guess I'm caught now. Just don't turn me in too soon, I'd like to breathe a little more before my lungs are ripped out."

Fi lowered the jellyfish, exposing the rest of her face. "Who would remove your lungs? I read that punishments like that were from the old old days." She looked him over a little more, before asking, "Are you a Twili?"

The boy didn't answer, and instead stood still and gawked at Fi. It hurt her, having been recipient of far too many similar and malicious stares, and so she turned to run.

"No, wait! Please don't go!"

The little boy jumped out and reached for her, but missed and knocked into a footstool. She heard him seethe at his now scraped knee, and reluctantly came back to help him up.

"I'm Ghirahim. What's your name?"

"...My name is Fi."

"Fi..." Ghirahim smiled wide, then rubbed his head. "So who's your friend? It looks like you two are really close."

It took Fi a moment to realize he was talking about her toy. "Kuri...?" She responded with eyes turned to the ground. "Kuri's my jellyfish. My sister Kira gave me her when I was just born, so I've had her for almost six years. Kuri is always there. Kuri doesn't make fun of me for my condition. Kuri doesn't stare at me."

Ghirahim jumped back, then immediately bowed his head. "I'm so sorry, Fi! I didn't mean to stare at you, not at all! It's just... you're so pretty, I've never seen someone like you before in all the times I've been to Hyrule, and there's certainly no one as brilliant as you in the Twilight realm. Man, how could his lordship Ganondorf hide such a pretty girl from everyone?"

A blush popped up on Fi's pale cheeks. "You... think I'm pretty? But I'm not pretty, I'm abnormal. I have a condition."

Ghirahim looked shocked. "Abnormal? No way, you're an angel. My Ma with her freaky mobile hair is abnormal."

"GHIRAHIIIIIIM!"

Fi didn't get a chance to respond to Ghirahim's compliment, because he was suddenly plucked into the air by a floating black and blue hand. Midna, Queen of the Twilight Realm, materialized in the library with an angry look on her face.

"You fresh little whelp, you'll know what abnormal is when you can't sit down for a week!" Midna laid her son across her lap and promptly smacked his bottom. "Not only did you set the training room on fire, you broke a window, and then LIED to Ganondorf about who did it! He invited you here to learn, not to break shit!"

Fi giggled, watching as Ghirahim's face turned red in embarrassment from Midna's spanking. She was starting to like this strange Twili boy who found her pretty.

"Ow, Ma, stop that! Not in front of Fi!"

"You woke up the little princess with your commotion, too?! Rotten brat, I'm going to beat your father too for making you this naughty!"

After Midna and her rambunctious boy teleported away, Fi padded down the hallway to her mother's room, dragging Kuri behind her. Link was fond of grass and gardening, and had a large greenhouse installed in the castle. Fi found her there gathering pumpkins for a meal.

"Mama?"

"Fi, come here baby. You look like something's bothering you." Link picked up her youngest, then kissed her cheeks. "Did you have a bad dream during your nap? Wasn't Kira with you in the library?"

"Kira read me a story, but then she had to go to her riding lesson. I was napping in the library when a little boy came in and made a commotion. Queen Midna then came in and spanked him for setting Papa's training room on fire."

"Ohh... Now that I think about it, you've never met Ghirahim, have you?" Link had remained close with Midna ever since Ganondorf and Zelda reforged the Twilight Mirror, and the Twilight Queen was a frequent visitor to Hyrule, even having assisted in Fi's delivery. But her son Ghirahim had only just begun training under Ganondorf, and Fi was usually resting when he was in the castle.

"He asked me about Kuri. Then he said I was pretty and brilliant and an angel."

Link smiled. "Really? That's great! Ghirahim is a little silly, but he's a really nice boy. Come on, let's go find Papa and tell him you've made a new friend."

"But I thought we weren't allowed to be friends with boys? Papa gets real mad when he catches Kira writing letters to King Ralis."

"If Papa has a problem with you making friends with boys, he can bring it up with me."

* * *

**A/N: Something I thought I'd post in the meantime while I work on Kira's story. Hint, this oneshot isn't going to stay a oneshot. ;)**

**Mkad07: That is TOTALLY accurate! Ganny is a complete papa boar. He would send his girls to live with the Gerudo if Link didn't stop him. ^^;**


	26. Ganon's Diary

**A/N: I was debating making this another title, but maybe it should be posted as a oneshot chapter. Either way, here is Ganondorf's journal during the course of Identities! The answers to several guest questions are inside, as well as a semi-thorough timeline of the story. (With this, I think the supplemental material surpasses the actual story length!)**

Most entries are written by Ganondorf, and in other cases you can easily tell who did it. ;)

* * *

**Hyrule Era Year 847, June 13th, 11am**

I am finally free of imprisonment in that twilight realm. Zant did not follow my instructions completely, and instead has covered the land in twilight as an act of retribution for the years of oppression he has faced. He knows nothing of true oppression.

Regardless of my anger at him, I headed straight for the castle. Because I materialized in Hyrule Field, I used the old spillway to enter Castle Town. I was caught off guard when I found a dying Twili and a wolf about to drown near the castle entrance. Curiosity made me pluck them from the water.

The Twili could only be Zant's counterpart Midna, but the wolf was unknown to me. I was about to throw it back in the water when it opened its eyes. Cerulean. Such a beautiful blue color, I have never seen the like on any beast or man. It occurred to me that this creature may be here by destiny, so I plucked the arrows from its side and healed its injuries. When I lifted its injured paw, a sensation came over me that I knew all too well. The creature was a vessel for the Triforce.

I decided to let the creature go on about its business. If it truly held a piece of the Triforce, we will meet again.

**3pm**

I was right, that creature was divine. Zant had imprisoned the Princess in the castle, and when I went to confront her, I discovered she had lent her spirit (and the Triforce of Wisdom) to the dying Twili. No matter, Midna is bound to return to the castle. By then, perhaps I'll meet the wolf in his natural state.

**Hyrule Era Year 847, October 3rd, noon**

The hero is female. This fascinates me. To think that the stuck up Hylians would allow a little girl to save them whose name was not Zelda...

She will be here soon, and the final battle for Hyrule will begin. I will have the Triforce, and I will avenge my fallen sisters. Hyrule will not be destroyed, no, but rather rebuilt. I will show them the kindness they never showed us, but if they insist on their doom, they will get it.

**Year 0 in the Dragmire Era, October 17th**

I have done it, Hyrule is mine. After I fought with the hero in my feral state, the twilight princess warped Zelda and the hero away. I subdued and imprisoned the imp (her Fused Shadow may be powerful, but not as strong as the Triforce of Power), then tracked them down to Hyrule field. The hero fought with me on horseback, until I switched the battle to swordplay.

Zelda is weak and used the opportunity to escape. She can be tracked down easily, I am not concerned with her. At the moment, I am more worried about the hero.

I was right, the wolf did carry the Triforce of Courage. Her name is Link, and aside from the hair and tunic colors, she does not resemble the heroes of old. Her beauty honestly puts Princess Zelda to shame- a plump little face, pale skin, body like an inverted triangle, and perfectly sized breasts. What takes me aback the most is her hair, shimmering gold like the desert. When I pulled her hat off to treat her injuries, it came tumbling out like a waterfall. It was so adorable, it made me laugh.

I want this girl to learn that she can be a formidable warrior without concealing her identity. Damn my foolishness for breaking her dominant hand, but with rest and recovery, I can get her fighting again.

**October 27th**

I heard her speak. Usually all she would emit were growls and screams, but when she sounds out words, hers is one of the most feminine voices I've ever heard. I want to hear more, and I will help her relearn her speech.

She wanted her friend, the imp. I allowed them to meet, and even broke the curse on the imp, but made it clear she had to return to the twilight. I have no desire to rule over them, they are free to live as they see fit. I only want that mirror broken, so that it can no longer be used to banish others. I would have let it go had I been the only one banished, but it has a bloody history of being the Hyrule Kings' execution tool.

**November 30th, evening**

She got mad that I called her a boy. It made her break down sobbing and mumbling, of course after she smacked a bowl of food all over my clothing. I apologized and told her why I did it, then elaborated on the Gerudo. I don't think she had ever heard about them, because she calmed down and let me feed her. I will have to introduce her to my kin.

Link protested when I took her to bathe, and hid her breasts behind her hands when I disrobed her. After reminding her that I had already seen too many breasts to count, she started squeezing hers together like some floozy. I chided her and guided her hands away, though I couldn't help caressing her chest.

I sat her in the bath before I lost my composure, and cleaned her off. Her hair was so silky and smooth...

**December 5th, morning**

I'm in love with Link. I don't know how I let myself get this far. I removed her splint the day of her bath, and the next morning we began her oral rehabilitation. Her voice has a heavenly quality to it, mezzo-soprano with a slight lisp. The lisp will fade as she gets used to speaking, but still, I hear her when I close my eyes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is how she intends to defeat me. But she made a promise, to accept her defeat and live as a woman. I know deep down she wants to embrace her femininity...

Further proof that she has me lost- she asked for her horse call, and instead I set out looking for the horse. Her horse call is in my chambers with her other weapons, but I really want to surprise her with the mare. It was well taken care of, if Link's background as a rancher means anything. I have an idea where Zelda could have taken it.

**December 17th, noon**

The people are starting to accept my rule. In a few days I have a meeting with Ambi of the neighboring country Labrynna, and I want to take Link along as my escort. I had Aveil tailor a dress for Link, nothing too racy but at the same time accentuating. I made it the same green of her tunic in an effort to please her, but she snorted at it and turned away.

...I lost my temper and barked at her, scaring her enough to make her fall from the bed. It scared me a bit as well, because I saw her land on her wrist and yelp. I ran to her and placed her back into bed. The wrist broke again but I used a bit of my magic to heal it, telling her it was fine. I didn't want to alarm her now that we had a modicum of trust built up between us. She calmed down when I said her presence could help me reach a peace accord.

(Note to self: Link prefers reading romance over history.)

**December 19th, 11pm**

I pushed her too hard. I failed to consider how much she misses her family and friends, and it resulted in that little escape attempt today.

Truth be told, I am far from angry. I'm proud that she retains all the courage granted to her by the Golden Power. I will let her meet with them in Castle Town if she so desires.

She cried herself to sleep against me in the field, so I brought her back to my chambers. I can tell she does not want to be alone, so I will stay with her tonight. Looking over her, I can't help but smile at the kiss I left on her neck. When she is ready, I will give her many more.

**Dragmire Era Year 1, January 15th, 10am**

I finally found Link's horse. As suspected, the mare was in old Kakariko Village. What surprised me was the person I found the horse with. I am no fool. Sheikah have been all but dead for hundreds of years, so why she thought she could confuse me by taking up the mantle of a healthy young Sheikah man, I'll never know. Though, I would enjoy seeing the look on her face if she ever discovered that my own father was part Sheikah...

But at this point, I am fine with letting her think I am oblivious. All I wanted was my love's horse. Even she has to be aware of how the people have accepted my rule. If Zelda wants to stir up trouble, let her. But she will have a hard time doing so, now that I have the Zora on my side. Their king Ralis is young, but understands that his mother's death was not my design. He looks up to Link and is one of the few who knows her secret, and will support me so long as she is unharmed.

Link is in high spirits. She loves the archery practice I set up with Aveil, though I have noticed she can't hold her bow as steadily as before. I will see about getting her a more comfortable one. I plan to give Epona to her after lunch. I can't wait to see her reaction.

I think she knows by now that most of the gifts I bring her are not exactly for her rehabilitation. This morning I saw her leave for town in a celadon cowl necked dress I had only given her the night before, when she normally stuck to the plain peasant styles. The only thing planned today is our normal lunch. I wonder, does she...

**Dragmire Era Year 1, January 31st, 8pm**

I don't know what I'm going to do. In my arrogance, I let the demon that was attacking my kin take over my body. It commandeered the Triforce of Power, and used it to nearly kill Link. I nearly killed Link.

She's with Kona, Aveil, and Zelda right now. Once I gather my wits, I intend to fetch her friend from Ordon. I just...

**February 2nd**

I found the girl, Ilia. She took me to see her father, the mayor of Ordon, as well as Link's uncle Rusl. Ilia threatened me when I found her, then threw a pot at me once she heard the details of Link's condition. I don't blame her. I wouldn't blame her for throwing knives at me.

Rusl belongs to Telma's little resistance group, and somehow had already heard of the demon plaguing my kin. He does not blame me for Link's condition, though he expects me to expend every effort to make her well. I already planned to do so. He seemed relieved when I told him a "Sheikah" was looking after her. I wonder how many others know of Zelda's disguise...

**March 1st**

Link still has not woken up. My doctor and midwife, Nana, assures me that everything has been done, and we simply need to wait for Link to come out of it on her own. Zelda provided blood that first night, and so Nana believes that combined with Link's own Triforce enhanced abilities are working to heal her.

The poor girl is a slow heal. It's been a whole month, and her scratches have barely faded. The bruising around her eye is still deep purple, and the gash above her brow still seeps blood. I can't remember the last time I did it, but I've been praying to the Three that she awaken. Hopefully they hear me...

**March 30th, afternoon**

Kona ran into my study to tell me that Link has awakened. I sighed and fell back into my chair at the news. In reality, I was afraid to be there when she woke. I didn't know how she would feel about me now that I've nearly killed her. Kona says she woke crying and the first thing she did was ask if I was okay. _Me_. I'm a coward for not being there.

I will go to her in the evening. I have a vial of golden chu jelly that I've been keeping for her, perhaps it will ease her pain. To think she was most worried about me...

**March 31st, morning**

She loves me back. She doesn't blame me for what happened, and she wants me by her side.

Right now she is sleeping beside me, her hand curled around my elbow. I couldn't be happier. When she recovers, I will make everyone aware of how much I love this woman.

**April 15th, evening**

My poor Link is plagued by nightmares, and the latest one has caused her harm. I was mending her tunic when she suddenly shot out of bed and screamed for me. She dreamt that I had abandoned her. NOTHING could ever cause me to abandon Link.

The gash on her stomach has reopened. I sealed it back up with some magic, and will have Nana look at it in the morning. From now on, I will spend every second by her side. The kingdom can wait.

**May 8th, morning**

Nana is coming today to remove Link's cast, as well as her neck bandage. If all goes well, I have a reward planned for her later tonight. Ilia told me that today is Link's birthday, so I want this to be the best birthday she's ever had.

**May 9th, afternoon**

Link is resting in bed today. I think she enjoyed last night, even if she was nervous. She'll probably never know, but I felt just the same.

**June 2nd, midnight**

Link wants to go back to Ordon. She can barely stand on her left leg, and I still have to help her to the bathroom or to the library, so I'm not too keen on letting her ride Epona that far. But she will get her wish when she wakes. I know just the transportation spell.

**June 3rd, evening**

Link is stubborn. This morning I transported her to her treehouse, and left her in her bed while I had a talk with Rusl and Bo. I figured it would be a nice surprise for her, to wake up in her childhood bed. I intended to be back by then, but I wasn't.

She decided to come looking for me, and stumbled out of the house, falling down **two** ladders. Not only that, she wandered into Ordon Village wearing pajamas and with her hair down. Did I mention that she **hadn't yet told everyone in Ordon **that she was no longer living as a boy?

It caused a commotion. The rancher and the shopkeeper's husband kept calling her a ghost, while the latter's daughter and the kid with the bandana defended her. Rusl and I ran outside in the middle of this commotion, finding his wife Uli hugging Link tight and Ilia berating the two adults for hurting Link's feelings.

Rusl then explained it to me- Link's mother Kirala was Uli's sister, and in that getup, she's the spitting image of her mother. Kirala was always against raising Link as a boy, but was sickly after giving birth and never recovered before the accident took her life. Uli knew Link was female, but she hadn't seen her with a female appearance before, and it brought on a flood of happy tears.

I think Link's fears about the village accepting her can be put to rest. But I am glad we came, because Rusl has consented to my request...

**Dragmire Era Year 1, August 29th, morning**

I haven't been keeping this journal as well as I originally intended, now that I have such a heavenly distraction...

I have decided that it is in my best interest to set up a small council. As much as I dislike that model of rule, it would help unify Hyrule. Ralis, Rusl, Zelda (or Sheik as she sometimes prefers), as well as that hulking Goron should be enough.

The council is second to my real plan, though. She hasn't figured it out yet, or if she has, she's playing coy. It's still here in my desk, and hasn't been disturbed. Aveil already knows out of necessity, but so help me if Kona finds out, then everyone will know...

**October 1st, 7am**

I asked Link if it would be okay to give her a few new dresses for the anniversary of my ascension. She raised her eyebrow at me but agreed when I said I thought of the occasion as the anniversary of our meeting. I don't think she suspects. It's still here, and hasn't been disturbed. I brought it out and polished it, and it's ready for her. Now Aveil just needs to get things in place...

**October 17th 5am**

It just occurred to me that I do not know Link's family name. I am going to propose to her in less than six hours and I don't even know her family name! It's too late to postpone, everyone is already prepared and I would look a complete fool. I could always pull Ilia aside and ask her, but the girl hasn't left Link alone since she got here. ARGH.

**dragmire era, what's that mean? year 1 october 18 sometime after 2 oclock on the first day of our marriage**

ganon doesn't know i took his diary. i knew something funny was going on when he insisted i dress up in a gerudo dress. most of the time i wear dresses they are the fancy full bodied hylian ones. this one was more of a bra and skirt than an actual dress. i didn't like it at all but aveil said it was cute on me so i wore it.

i want to punch him for making me cry in front of all his sisters but at the same time i know i can never live without him so i said yes. but what kind of people get married the same day they propose? the gerudo i guess. i really like his present. it's a pretty green circlet (not as fancy as that garish crown he always wears). he's going to be mad when he reads this tomorrow. sorry gan, i love you but i obviously didn't have any time to give you a present (unless you count... no that doesn't count, you do that to me all the time).

**Dragmire Era Year 1 October 19th**

I love my wife.

**Dragmire Era Year 1, December 3rd, morning**

Link insists I am sick. I am not. I do not get sick. She keeps force feeding me Ordonian leek soup and goat's milk. Gerudo don't get sick!

yes gerudo do get sick and if you don't eat the soup i'll take this book and burn it.

**December 4th**

I need to find a better hiding spot for this journal.

**Dragmire Era Year 2, January 3rd, afternoon**

Link feels a little feverish today, perhaps I was too rough with her last night. I hope she recovers in time for our trip to Termina next month. I want to show off my beautiful Ordonian queen to those stuffy Terminan Gerudo. She is my reward, my life, more important to me than the Triforce and Hyrule put together.

**February 1st morning**

It is with a heavy heart that I leave Link behind. She had been looking forward to the trip, but now she says her leg is in pain and Termina is too cold. The poor thing hasn't walked right since the demon incident, and I just can't bring her to travel when she is uncomfortable. I will leave this journal here while I am gone, otherwise every page will be filled with how much I miss her.

**dragmire era year 2 february 21 i dunno what time it is**

ganondorf, i'm scared. i don't know what to do. please don't hate me. i'm too young, this is just like what happened with my mama... aunt uli told me how my papa came to ordon from kakariko and met mama when she was real young, and they eloped. then mama got pregnant with me but she was too young and then after she had me she was real sickly and then the accident...

i don't wanna leave you and the baby all alone. please... come home...

**Dragmire Era Year 2, April 15th**

Since I came of age, not once have I cried. I have broken many bones in anger, my own and others', but not once have I let tears escape my eyes until I read the previous entry. I swear to you, Link, with every ounce of power in my body, I will not let such things happen. I will wrench the Triforce from my own form as well as from Zelda's to ensure that you survive to grow old with our child. You will live to see her fall in love, marry, and have children of her own. The Gerudo, the Hylians, the Zora, and the Gorons all adore you as their savoir, and will never let harm come to you. I will never let harm come to you. This is a promise.

**May 8th, night**

For Link's birthday, we went to Lake Hylia. I had Aveil bring Epona beforehand, and though Link is in no condition to ride the horse any longer, I let the two friends walk around the lake perimeter.

When they were finished, Link asked me to visit the Fairy Fountain with her. She hadn't been there since Zant cursed Midna (it brought back bad memories), but wanted to swim and figured that was the safest place for the little one.

On the way in, we encountered Ralis. The twelve year old Zora king showed his age when he ran to Link and started babbling about all his recent accomplishments, and Link was all too happy to listen and praise. She will be an excellent mother.

**June 29th**

Link is beautiful. I tried getting her to wear Gerudo clothing thinking it would be more comfortable in the heat, but she refuses to have her belly stick out "like it's on display". Instead she alternates between my undershirts and a few of her larger cloaks. I kiss her stomach every night, and the little one occasionally kicks at me.

Ilia and Rusl's wife Uli visit from time to time, and I am glad because they offer Link the motherly comfort she never had as a child. Uli especially; she has had two of her own and was present for Link's birth. She answers all of Link's questions, and lets Link practice by caring for her new cousin.

Link has asked to give birth in Ordon Village. I think that would be best, though I will make sure Nana and the rest of the castle doctors are within reach.

I know it's cliche to say that she is glowing, but Link really is. At night I catch her grinning and mumbling that she never thought this would happen, and she keeps picking out cute little baby outfits of every style and color. We know it will be a girl (male Gerudo births are becoming more common, though not with Gerudo fathers), but Link wants the child to decide on her own how she will live. I admire that.

Link has a name in mind, though she won't tell me what it is just yet.

**dragmire year 2 july 3 middle of the night-ish**

you're getting good at hiding this thing.

happy birthday papa, from me and kira.

**July 3rd, morning**

Kira... I love it. Three more months until I hold you in my arms, little Kira...

**October Seventeenth in the Second Year of our Lord Ganondorf Dragmire**

Our Lord and King Ganondorf Dragmire and our Lady and Savior Queen Link have welcomed their Daughter, Princess Kira Lilly Dragmire into the world on this date. His Majesty has instructed me to mark her arrival in his journal, and to announce the birth to the people of Hyrule. - Aveil, General to His Majesty Ganondorf Dragmire I

**Dragmire Era Year 2, November 21st, evening**

I find myself more and more distracted from this book.

Kira is adorable. She has her mother's cheeks, and a golden skin tone between my own bronze and her mother's porcelain. Her eyes are a bluish-green at the moment, but Nana thinks they'll shift toward a jade green within a few months. Her baby hair has fallen out, but it's starting to come back in as a beautiful strawberry blonde.

She squeezes my finger with a grip to be proud of. She tends to cry only when she needs something, and allows me to comfort her when Link is tired. I am glad Kira is not a fussy eater, because I can tell Link is still in pain from the birth. I will start making that blue potion cider that Link enjoys; it should ease some of the pain.

Now that I am a father, I will spend more time focusing on the future than the past, namely this journal.

**Dragmire Era Year 5, October 17th, evening**

I said I would leave the past in the past, but alas, here I am...

Much has changed in three years. I have become a well liked king, even in Zelda's eyes. She now resides with a group of nomads outside the Gerudo Desert; I believe they can trace their roots back to the Sheikah, so it is fitting.

The Zora are behind me one hundred percent; or rather they are behind Link. Ralis looks up to her for advice, and treats Kira like an angel. He spends quite a bit of time with her now that I think about it...

I have been working to expand my alliances with Termina, Labyrnna, and Holodrum, though Holodrum is largely leaderless. Darbus has been working to unite our two Goron populations, we'll see if he can get anywhere.

**Dragmire Era Year 6, June 8th, evening**

I should have known this would happen, judging by the way the two act around each other, but Vengeance and Epona have produced a foal. Link named her Freya. She's quite the specimen, and will make a fine mount for Kira when they are both older. Kira loves her now, of course, and I blame her Ordonian blood. The little elf is becoming quite interested in ranching.

**July 3rd, noon**

Kira gave me a rock as a birthday present. Cute.

**July 4th**

I take it back. Kira is a genius. She didn't give me a rock, she gave me an Evil Crystal, something almost as rare as that Goddess Plume she once found. Link frowned at me when I told her about the discovery. "What do you mean, you didn't know? She knew exactly what it was because she saw it in one of your books" was the response I got. I need to start giving Kira more credit.

**July 21st, midnight**

Had Zant not already been dead, after the events of today, I would have eviscerated him. How DARE he do such a brazen thing to Link?

I must do something to make this up to Link. Had I known what the Twilight Princess did for her, I would have never banished the woman. Perhaps Zelda, with her gift of Wisdom, can find someway to reconstruct that mirror...

**September 10th, nightfall**

Tonight, Link and Kira will play the Goddess in the ceremony. Afterward, I will give Link her long overdue birthday present. AFTER I beat Kona, of course. It's become somewhat of a tradition for the two of us to go at it during the ceremony.

**September 10th, after the ceremony**

I lost. Ganondorf Dragmire LOST. In my defense, the most beautiful being in the world and her little Goddess in Training distracted me. But a little bribe to Kona and I was able to take my place in the ceremony. I'm waiting for her now in the Temple, then we'll ascend the tower and see her friend again. I am ever grateful to Zelda for making this possible. Zelda in turn has requested a position as Ambassador to the Twilight Realm, and I have granted it. She wishes to study our two peoples, and do what she can to rectify the banishment of Sheikah and Gerudo to the Twilight Realm.

**Dragmire Era Year 7, May 15th, noon**

Kira is driving me insane. She is obsessed with fish. "Zora this", "Zora that", with an occasional "King Ralis gave me...". Just today, she started crying when I said I didn't want to read her _Kompendium Aquatica_. I can't stand seeing my baby cry, but...

Link just came in to remind me that I am not allowed to marry Kira off for territory (like I would ever do that), and that Ralis is a fine young man.

He's a Zora.

**Dragmire Era Year 8, January 7th, noon **

Meeting with Clock Town mayor was a waste, the old fool couldn't make up his mind which of the proposals was best. Instructed Captain Silvenia of the Great Bay Gerudo to implement my original border protection initiative. If Dotour has anything to complain about, let him. I'm looking out for his people as well as my own.

I caught Kira skipping lessons to meet with that blasted Zora again. Nevermind the species difference in the two, he's eighteen and she's six. Link keeps smacking me when I bring this up, reminding me that I am myself eleven years older than her. There's a big difference, I courted her when she was an adult!

**Dragmire Era Year 9, December 19th, 11am**

Midna has given birth to a son. I didn't even know she had a man, let alone was pregnant. When I asked Link why she didn't tell me, she said it was because Midna asked her not to. I guess she was afraid I would retaliate? Like I care if she decides to raise a family.

The little boy's name is Ghirahim. The name sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Either way, he's a lively lad, already alert mere days after birth. Midna appointed us as his godparents, and I offered to give the lad a Hyrulean rank once he is of age.

When we got back from the Twilight Realm, Link said she had something to tell me later. I asked her why it had to wait, but she shook me off and helped Kira with her schoolwork. She's been really secretive lately, and I can only hope her injuries aren't haunting her.

**10pm**

We're having another child! Link told Kira before she told me... That explains why the little elf was snickering and giggling throughout our swordplay lesson. I can't believe it's actually happening- Nana believed that Link's physiology was not suited for childbearing, and that we were unbelievably lucky to be given Kira.

She's prescribing bed rest for the majority of the pregnancy, and I agree. It will break Link to be cooped up in our room all day, but I will NOT risk my love's life. There is no Ganondorf without Link.

**Dragmire Era Year 10, July 27th, 3pm**

I passed Kira crying in the hall, and she refused to let me comfort her. I assume the cause of her tears was that Zora boy- lately if she's upset, he's the reason. I went to Link to confirm it. She told me that she tried to break it to Kira gently not to get her hopes up, but inadvertently broke her heart. Now she tells me that she is going to marry her daughter to that Zora king no matter what, and no Zora nor Gerudo is going to stop her.

I think she could tell I was not amused, because she then pointed out that she has a piece of the Triforce and Zelda was on her side. Link and I don't argue very often, but this is usually how our squabbles end- I'm reminded that enough wisdom and courage can counter power.

Link knows I would never, EVER harm her. I would never harm my daughter or daughter-to-come, and I would never deny my children their happiness.

When I think about it, Kira couldn't do much better than Ralis. I know what it's like to be a young king, and he certainly handled his sudden ascension with grace. He was actually one of my first allies when I took the throne, probably because of his friendship with Link. And now he's treating my daughter like a queen. Like his queen...

**July 30th, 2pm**

Link had a talk with Ralis. She joked that he's jealous of me for having no councilors. She then said he has outright refused to marry anyone but Kira, and is willing to wait until she matures (assuming she's still interested by then). I suppose that gives me eight or so years to accept that I will have finned grandchildren.

**August 14th, 4am**

Link has gone into labor a month earlier than expected. Aveil and Kona are fetching bedding and supplies for the infant, while Ilia, Zelda, and Nana are helping Link deliver. I'm in my study with Kira, who hasn't stopped crying since she found out. I am going to slaughter the bastard who gave her the idea that Link and the baby weren't going to come out of this okay.

Against my better judgement, I sent a messenger to Zora's Domain. Ralis will be able to help me comfort Kira. I can put my prejudices aside for the sake of my family.

**4pm**

Nothing yet. Zelda and Ralis have taken over comforting Kira, and I have moved to Link's side. Link looks exhausted, but keeps gripping my hand and giving me that sad little smile.

**8pm**

We have finally welcomed our second daughter. The poor little thing is pale as a sheet, and has soft blonde hair on her crown. Her eyes are what surprise me, they're the same sparkling cerulean as her mother's.

Midna brought Link a heated baby bed for the child, and offered services as a wet nurse for the night so Link could rest. We will name the child tomorrow, right now they both need to sleep.

Nana suspects the child has "sun sickness", a rare Sheikah condition that in the old days, spread to the Gerudo. The sickness was fatal to Gerudo, because it robs the skin of its defenses against the desert sun, but had long been thought eradicated. She must have gotten it from me; my father was half Sheikah. Luckily with Link's strong Ordonian blood, the sickness won't be fatal. The child will just need us to look out for her.

**Dragmire Era Year 10, August 15th, Noon**

Fi. Link said the name came to her in her dreams, and something inside myself recognizes it as well. Fi is not very fussy, despite being more active in utero than Kira was. It could be her early arrival, though...

Kira is going to be a good sister, I can tell. She has already offered to help care for Fi while Link recovers, and her motherly Gerudo blood shines through.

**Dragmire Era Year 15, August 19th 7pm**

I need to keep my eye on Ghirahim. He is an excellent warrior, despite his age, and has a talent for magic. However, that is not what concerns me. Given Fi's fragility, his position as Princess Guard is necessary and I will train the hell out of him. But I know the way he looks at her. I swear their mothers are plotting something behind my back...

**Dragmire Ear Year 17, October 9th, 2pm**

The moment I've been dreading for the last seven years has arrived- Link wants to plan Kira's engagement party. Ralis has asked to propose on her fifteenth birthday, though he promises he won't marry her until she turns seventeen.

As a Gerudo, I can't object. I remember telling Link the night I found out about Kira's conception that we have sex as young as fifteen.

As a father I want to wring Ralis's neck for even suggesting engagement at that age. But what difference does making it official make? They're still probably going to get married around that time, hell I've known about this since the girl was old enough to read.

Link has the whole thing planned. (Since when, I wonder?) It will be a surprise, the engagement disguised as her fifteenth birthday celebration. She has invited dignitaries from the surrounding territories, making it a point to request their sons attend as well. I think this is for her own enjoyment; after all we have had to fend off several arranged marriage requests over the years.

Midna will be coming of course, and I know the two queens will be scheming. I fear this situation will be repeating itself in a few years with Fi...

Though I owe my thanks to the boy. We've been receiving marriage requests for Kira ever since she was four. With Fi, I haven't had a single one and it's not because of her condition. Ghirahim must be keeping them away. After all, he does reside in the castle, they must all think it is set in stone.

That or Midna scared away her son's competition.

**October 17th, 6am**

Kira doesn't know it, but I saw her jump out that window. The poor girl, I don't blame her for running away. It was a terrible cover story. Besides, I know exactly where she's going. Let the two comfort each other.

Although, I think Ralis still believes that I will castrate him if he touches her too soon. This could prove to be entertaining...

**October 17th, evening**

I told Link where Kira had gone, and she swooned. Fi was worried I was going to get mad at Kira, but I assured her that was not the case. It warms my heart how protective my daughters are of each other, despite their age difference. I told Link and Fi to get ready for their party, and went to the spillway. Sure enough, the lovers were there, trying to sneak back into the castle. I caught them in the middle of kissing.

They expected me to explode, but I merely told them to wait at least ten years before having children. Male Zora and human women are compatible, but pregnancies can be rough, especially if Kira takes after her mother. Ralis was surprised but bowed in acknowledgement, while Kira turned as red as a beet. She then ran over to me and hugged me tight.

Alas, my little girl is all grown up...

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry, I haven't forgot about the younger Dragmire child. ;)**

**I will write the wedding, have no fear! But I want it to be perfect, so give me time to work on the details. It will be so fluffy, kittens will want to snuggle in it!**


	27. Ganon's Diary part 2

**Dragmire Era Year 18, May 1st, 5pm**

Link has been acting strange lately. She took a trip to the Valley without me yesterday, and Midna and her husband Ravi have been meeting with her since this morning. Ravi usually never leaves the Twilight Realm, because he's afraid of "the sunlight". (I wonder where she found this weakling. He looks very much like Link did when she was a boy, perhaps that is why she is attracted to him. Good thing Ghirahim all but lives with us, he wouldn't be able to hold a blade otherwise and would resemble his bookworm brother Vio.)

Kira and Fi have both spied on Link for me, and they say she is just stressed. I wonder what she could be stressed about... Her birthday is next week but we never make a spectacle of it; her leg is the only injury that still flares up but that has been controlled; Epona is in great health and I have several enchantments in place to give her a healthy and long life. Kira's wedding is a year and a half away and Link knows I will not interfere in Fi's friendship with Ghirahim. So what could it be?

**May 3rd, noon**

Link is really starting to worry me. This morning I caught her talking to the stable cats. The cats. I think perhaps I will summon Nana and have her examined.

**May 5th, midnight**

I can't believe it. At thirty six years old, Link is once again pregnant. I am thrilled to expand our family, but at the same time I am TREMENDOUSLY worried about the effect on Link's health. Gerudo women have children well into their forties. Ordonian and Hylian women stop around thirty. It is my own fault, I suppose. I adore Link with every ounce of my being and I prove it to her every chance I can. Maybe too often...

Link was worried about her health as well, and it turns out her trip to the valley was to see Nana. The two of them spent the day in the archive, researching the best way for an older Ordonian to deliver a healthy child. Nana believes that Triforce bearers and their offspring have naturally longer life, so Link and the child should be fine. But Link is terrified, reminding me of the way she felt when she discovered she was pregnant with Kira. That's why she needed Midna and Ravi, for support.

Nana is adamant that at the first sign of trouble, she will deliver the child via incision. If it comes to that, I will ask Zelda to lend her magic for healing. I have seen too many Gerudo suffer from such births.

**May 6th, noon**

Nana pulled me aside this morning for some unsettling news. She believes that Link has been pregnant many times over the course of our marriage, but the pregnancies would not take. Her research has led her to believe that it is because we both have a piece of the Triforce. She thinks it is simply because the two pieces should not merge without the third. But Kira and Fi were strong and overcame, just as this little one did.

The good news is that this pregnancy is past the stable point, and should continue to term without incident. I just never thought that I'd be welcoming another child at forty eight years of age.

**August 14th, evening**

My little baby Fi is eight years old as of today. She does not like big ceremonies so we kept it private. Link's family from Ordon, Ralis, Zelda, and of course Midna and her family came to celebrate with us. We all got her gifts, most of which were books. But she only got excited over Ghirahim's gift- a kitten.

**October 17th, noon**

Ralis pulled me aside this morning after the council meeting, to ask if Kira could spend the night in Zora's Domain. I'm no fool, I know exactly what he wants to do with her. I told him she may, but I also reminded him that Gerudo of old were known to eat Zora when they were desperate. The look on his face was worth a thousand rupees.

**October 18th, evening**

Apparently Link heard about my little joke with Ralis and got angry, so she threw a pillow at me as I entered our room. But she missed and knocked a sconce over, spilling hot candle wax onto my arm. All I felt was surprise, but she panicked and started crying in fear that she hurt me. I forgot how much her emotions are affected by pregnancy. I sat with her until she calmed down, and now she's resting again. The poor thing...

**Dragmire Era Year 19, February 2nd, 6am**

Link has gone into pre-labor, and Nana tells me there will be no need for an incision. I summoned Zelda regardless. We will be prepared.

**February 3rd, 9am, 19 years since -**P-a-p-a-** Ganondorf Dragmire took the throne**

Papa has asked me to write his journal entry today. He is ecstatic- Mama gave birth to a healthy little boy this morning around sunrise. To be honest, no one was expecting this to happen. Doctor Nana practically gave Mama and Papa a heart attack; when he came out she kept saying "I don't believe it, I don't believe it" and "by the Goddesses" before Papa got mad and came over to check. But then he said the same thing when he saw the baby, and poor Mama was near tears from fright before they told her it was a healthy boy. I got a look at my new brother, he's pretty cute, but Fi said he looks like a cantaloupe. What a silly girl.

Mama didn't have any names planned for a boy, so Papa suggested they name him after his father since I am named after Mama's mother. I never knew anything about my paternal grandfather other than he was half Sheikah. Turns out he was a warrior sympathetic to the Gerudo, and actually died in battle fighting to save Papa and my grandmother. His name was Agahnim. I think it's nice to name the baby after him. The citizens knew Mama was expecting, but they'll be in for quite a shock when they discover they have a prince instead of a new princess.

We all brought presents for Agahnim. Princess Zelda gave him a crib, I made a blanket, Fi made a mobile, Ralis brought a stuffed shark (sorry Papa, we know you don't like fish but it was just too cute!), and Aunt Midna and Ghirahim brought a bunch of his and his brother's baby clothes (a last minute thing).

I can tell you right now Papa is going to neglect this journal again now that he has a son to dote on. My weaponry training will have been peanuts compared to Agahnim's, and he trained the hell out of me. But I suppose that's to be expected of a prince (especially if he will be trained for the throne; Ralis and I don't really want it and I imagine Fi will want live with Ghirahim in the Twilight Realm where the sun can't hurt her).

Aveil and Kona are on their way to the Valley to share the news. I can just imagine the celebrating...

**Dragmire Era Year 19, February 4th, noon**

I have a son. Of all Gerudo, I, Ganondorf, have been blessed with a son. I swear I kissed Link sore yesterday in gratitude, and though she was tired from the birth, she was also happy. She confided in me that a short while before discovering the pregnancy, she had a dream. The Goddesses were pleased with how peaceful Hyrule had become, and told her that the merging of light and darkness would be rewarded. She now thinks they sent Agahnim as that reward. I told her all our children are rewards, and I don't think of our son as any more important than our daughters.

I owe my happiness to Link, and treasure her with every ounce of my being. The gifts she has given me have made me a better man, all three of them.

**dragmire era something something february 7ish**

the king of hyrule is very sappy. what are you doing writing stuff like that? i can tell when you're distracted because you leave this thing laying open for me to find and write in it. but i'm distracted too. i'm distracted by my precious life mate, and how happy he makes me. he gave me my identity back, brought back my voice, and made three lovely babies with me. i want to grow old with him and give him enough love to repay him tenfold.

i love you ganon. i always will.

.

I love you too, Link. I always have and always will, until the Goddesses unmake the earth.

* * *

**A/N: Why won't this site allow strikethrough? The competitors do!**


	28. Pretty Dresses

"I can't believe this is actually happening! And Papa isn't against it!" Fi couldn't keep her excitement contained as she helped the dressmaker adjust Kira's wedding gown. In a little over six months, the first born Dragmire child would become the Queen of the Zoras.

"Papa wants both of us to be happy, Fi. For me, that means marrying Ralis. And for you, that means making your best friend the Princess Guard." Kira shot a glance to the uniformed boy leaning in the corner, herself giggling as she caught him pretending not to listen.

Dress fittings were normally girls-only occasions, but Ghirahim went where Fi went, end of discussion. He was her first and only true friend, and she stuck to him to the point of refusing to sleep without him nearby. Of course Link and Midna were thrilled that their children adored each other, and so the Twili boy lived in Hyrule Castle as Fi's shadow, officially titled Lord Ghirahim, Princess Guard.

Once her giggling subsided, the dressmaker resumed her work. Kira wiggled as she strung and tied her bodice. The dress was designed to resemble the fallen Queen Rutela's fins, with a special type of fabric made to shimmer even when submerged in water. The laces on the side of the bodice resembled gills, and the open front showed off Kira's long legs.

That's not to say Kira ignored her Gerudo heritage. The dress showed off more skin than necessary, via sheer material and plentiful slits. She always wore her circlet proudly, and planned to shadow her eyes like the Goddess of the Sand.

"Kira, you're going to look so pretty," Fi said as the dressmaker measured and took notes. "Too bad Mama can't be here with us..."

"Mama has to stay in bed for a while, Fi, just like when you were born. Besides, this is just a fitting and there is half a year to go. She will see it before then." Kira dismounted the stool, and hugged her sister. "How about you and Ghirahim join her for lunch? I'll come join you as soon as I get out of this. Agahnim should be sleeping right now, and she'll be glad for our company."

Fi nodded. Link's third pregnancy had been easy, but delivery sapped most of her energy and even if Ganondorf allowed her out of bed, she wasn't feeling up to it. Thankfully, Agahnim was a quiet baby and only ever fussed when he was hungry or when Fi's cat Mews jumped onto Link's bed during naptime.

Fi and Ghirahim left Kira to change, and went to the king and queen's bedroom. Link was sitting on the bed, rocking Agahnim to sleep. She looked up when the pair entered. "Look, Agahnim, Sissy and Ghirahim have come to see you!"

Fi crawled onto the bed and laid her head on Link's shoulder, staring at her baby brother. She still thought he looked like a cantaloupe. "Hi, Mama."

Link smiled and wrapped an arm around Fi. "Hi, baby. How was the dress fitting?"

"Kira's going to be really pretty, it's sad you can't come watch. Maybe she can have a fitting in here next time..."

"Maybe. But it's not like I'll be in bed forever, at most another week or so." Link brushed a lock of Fi's hair behind her ear, then kissed between her eyebrows. "Let's have some lunch now, and you can tell me all about it."

* * *

After lunch, Fi and Ghirahim walked down the hall towards the library. Mews was weaving in and out of Fi's legs, making her giggle as she tried to keep from tripping. She almost didn't hear Ghirahim grumbling behind her.

"So what about your dress? Aren't you going to be the maid of honor? It's not fair." Fi stopped, and turned to her companion. Ghirahim had his arms crossed and was scowling.

"It's Kira's wedding, so she gets the spotlight. My dress is just going to be made like all my other clothing. They have my measurements, and I'll see it the day of the ceremony."

"That's not good enough," Ghirahim declared, before taking Fi's hand and pulling her back toward the dressmaker's room. "This is the only time you'll be able to stand with your sister on her wedding day, and you can't let your attire be a surprise. Come on, I'll fix it."

Fussing princess in tow, Ghirahim knocked on the dressmaker's door. The friendly dressmaker answered, and smiled at the children. "Well hello, Lord Ghirahim, and Your Highness, did you two forget something from this morning?"

"Fi wants to be fitted in her dress, too."

The dressmaker noticed the determination on the Twili boy's face. As a mother of several grown daughters she knew the feeling a sibling gets when left out, and though Ghirahim was doing all the talking, she could tell the situation did bother Fi a little. "Oh, I understand. Come in, children, come in. I was actually going to work on hers right now. Stand on that stool over there, Princess, and I'll fetch it for you."

Ghirahim helped Fi up onto the stool, and took her gloves and shoes. "Isn't this nice? Now you get to see what you'll be wearing!" He set the accessories down on a corner chair, but when he turned back, he gasped. Fi had taken her dress off, and was standing there with nothing but her panties, as any nine year old would have done. But to Ghirahim, seeing the girl he had adored since he was five years old _topless_ was a little too much to handle.

The dressmaker then walked in, nearly dropping her bundle of fabric at the display. "Lord Ghirahim, your nose is bleeding! What happened?"

"Nuffing. Bmpd ma nows on da cabnit," he mumbled, hands covering his flushed face and turning to the corner. "Awll b fain, tnd to Fi." Fi giggled, oblivious to his current state.

Fi's dress was simple compared to Kira's, but it still kept the aquatic theme. Long lavender gloves stretching to her underarms matched mid-thigh high boots, and each had aquamarine ribbons wound around to mimic Zora fin patterns. The dress itself was a simple tube design, in a pearlescent silver. The finishing touch surprised Fi the most- a simple collared cape, trimmed in coral and flowing down her shoulders to mimic fins.

"Ghi-Ghirahim, look!"

Blood wiped away, Ghirahim turned back from the corner at Fi's request and immediately blushed. "Woow, you... you look stunning, almost like you have wings."

"I think that was the intention," the dressmaker chimed in. "Princess Kira had the suggestion to make the cape look more wind-like than water-like, because you always seem like you're floating through the castle."

Ghirahim picked up the edge of the "wing", and rolled the fabric between his fingers. "Can... can you make another one for her after the wedding is over? It would help cut down on the heavy clothing you have to wear, Fi..."

"Yes, I think I can come up with something, Lord Ghirahim. If it's alright with the Princess..."

Fi twirled in her dress once more, then looked to Ghirahim and smiled. "Yes, I'd like that."

* * *

**A/N: Ghirahim's nosebleed is supposed to be for comedic effect. I am in no way implying that a ten year old is lusting after his best friend. I imagine the two of them kind of like Simba and Nala; best friends, they play together, cuddle together, get into simple mischief, and maybe when they're 15 or so one of them kisses the other and they realize it feels right. **

**FYI Kira already has THEIR wedding planned out, in addition to her own. The girl is a romantic nut just like her mother.**


	29. Three Days

**A/N: I did some major revising to the story and wanted to let anyone following the story know. I have rearranged the story into chronological order, integrating the oneshots into the original story. There has been a big revision to chapters 2, 3, and the oneshot "honor and obligation", they are now merged into two longer chapters instead of three short ones. I've also renamed the chapters to their AO3 names, though "epilogue" is now in the middle of the story. Whoops. Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and/or following! I appreciate it so much! :3**

* * *

Ralis stared out the window of the conference hall, not focused in the least on the current council meeting. In three days, he would officially join the Dragmire family and marry the girl he'd cherished for the last fourteen years. From here he could glimpse the stable, and sure enough Kira came padding out with Freya in tow.

Kira wore her strawberry blonde hair loose at the moment, the wavy strands falling to her mid back. She had inherited her mother's silky thin texture, though underwater her father's Gerudo traits shone through. The water made her hair spread out like the halo of a goddess, the deepened color resembling the red lilies in Zora's domain. Oh, how he loved to run his fingers through it as they...

"Ah-HEM."

Ralis sprung back from his reverie and found the entire council staring at him. Rusl and Aveil were shaking their heads, Darbus was silent, and Zelda gave him a warm (and understanding) smile before nudging her head towards the very angry and scowling king.

"Oh, forgive me, is our little council meeting interfering with your day, Zora? Perhaps I need to postpone it until after nap time so that we have your FULL attention..." Ganondorf barked, not used to being ignored. The frightened look on the boy's face made him sigh, and he rubbed his temples. No wonder he was going gray. He was about to continue when Zelda cut him off.

"Ralis, we know you are very stressed at the moment, and we appreciate you making an effort to come to this meeting," Zelda said, coming over and patting Ralis on the shoulder. "But perhaps, one of your advisors can take your place? It would give you more time to prepare for the big day..."

Ganondorf didn't take that well. "Do not interrupt me, _okama_, you are not in charge of this council."

Zelda turned from her spot beside Ralis, and with all the grace of the Nohansen line, marched over to Ganondorf and engaged him. "Excuse me, but this was my castle before it was yours. And I object to your language. Whether I choose to be Zelda or Sheik, neither of us is an 'okama', _ha-ge_."

"_HA-GE_? You wench, how dare you! I extend my people's hospitality to you, and you repay it by learning how to insult us in our own tongue? I will have you thrown in the Cave of Ordeals for your treachery, good for nothing snake! You will pay for..."

Ralis recognized Zelda's play, and ducked out of the room while the others sat in awe. Zelda and Ganondorf had long settled their initial hatred at Link's request, and now the most that happened between the two was this kind of verbal spar. He snuck down the halls toward the stable, hoping to catch his love by surprise. They hadn't seen each other in three days...

"King Ralis?"

A small voice stopped his search, and he turned around to find little Fi at his heels. "Hey, Fi-Fi, I haven't seen you in a while!" Fi came over and hugged him, while he fluffed her hair. "So where's Little Buddy? Is he treating you well?"

Fi giggled and pointed to the wall behind her, where Ghirahim leaned. "Don't call me that," he scowled in an attempt to hide his blush. Secretly, though, he loved it.

"No way, Little Buddy. So what are you two up to?" Ralis listened as Fi told him their current mission- finding a way to keep Ghirahim's brother Vio from following them around. Midna was in the castle visiting Link and the baby, so of course Vio had tagged along. The six year old was usually shy, but then he found out that Zelda gave Fi a number of new history books and wanted her to "share".

Ralis suggested the two hide in Ganondorf's armory office; after all Vio hated anything sharp and wouldn't follow if Ghirahim made it sound like he was going to be training. The two thanked him and ran off, so he resumed his sneaking.

Kira finished grooming Freya and returned her to the stable, then headed toward the garden. As soon as the stone path ended she chucked her sandals away and ran through the grass, eying a large pile of leaves the groundskeepers had left unattended. She didn't hesitate to dive right in.

Ralis had found his way to the stable, but Kira was already gone. Freya nudged him toward the garden, so he walked off and soon came across a discarded pair of sandals. He picked them up and looked around, but saw nothing besides the yard waste. "Now where did she go...?"

Kira's long Hylian ears picked up Ralis's mumble, and she poked her head out from the pile. She was thrilled to see him standing only a few yards away, and was about to call him when she got an idea. Worming her way back in so that he couldn't see her, she made a few rustling noises to get his attention.

Ralis thought he heard something coming from the waste pile, but shrugged it off. She wouldn't be inside the trash. Maybe her feet were hurting so she continued her walk barefoot...

The noise came again, so this time Ralis walked over. Maybe one of the cats got stuck. He felt around for a cat but came up with nothing, so he turned around to leave. Suddenly a pair of hands wrapped around his waist and yanked him into the leaves, accompanied by giggles. Found her.

"What the heck are you doing in a pile of lawn garbage?! You'll get filthy," Ralis chided in between kisses from his beloved.

"You'll just have to wash me off, then," Kira cooed, rolling them out of the pile and picking a leaf from under his ear fin. "They're just leaves. We like to jump in them because it's like swimming without water."

Ralis smiled, then bent down and kissed under her ear. "I love it how there are days when you are Gerudo, and then there are days when you are clearly Ordonian."

* * *

"Tell me it wasn't that sappy when you two were courting," Midna said with a sigh, watching the two roll around in the garden from Link's bedroom window. "My Ghira better not be that mushy when he proposes to Fi."

"Actually, Gan was pretty bad," Link answered as she fed Agahnim. "He was always touching me. Massaging my shoulders or nipping at my ears, kneading my thighs when I sat on his lap, mumbling words of love in Gerudo, sniffing my hair, and that was even before he realized I loved him back. Did I tell you he actually cried when Kira called him Papa for the first time?"

"Yeah, well you better get out there before Papa does and remind those kids that they're not married yet. Otherwise there'll be a funeral instead of a wedding."

* * *

A/N: Hage is Japanese for "baldy". So you can understand why the posterboy for Herbal Essences would be offended. XD


	30. The Big Day

"Grampa, will you tell me about the day Mommy and Daddy got married?"

Ganondorf looked up from his correspondence when he felt the little child crawl up into his lap. She maneuvered herself in between his arms and managed to take his quill, proceeding to draw smiley faces on a very important letter from the queen of Labyrnna.

"Laruto. What are you doing, this is not coloring paper. Give me that." He took the quill from the girl, but paused when she turned and looked at him with tears in her eyes. He was suddenly reminded of the same situation twenty five years in the past, but with a book instead of a quill and a daughter instead of a granddaughter. "Oh, alright. I guess Ambi won't mind if you decorate her letter."

"Yay!" Laruto took the quill back and resumed her doodles. "Here's Mommy and Daddy, and me, and Fi-Fi and Ghiraham and Aggy, and you and Mummy!"

As always, Ganondorf had wanted to strangle Ralis when Kira revealed she was pregnant. But of course he would never do something to harm his little girl or her feelings, so Ralis got off lucky. None of them were sure how a pregnancy between a human and a Zora would work, but it turned out to be like a normal human birth.

Laruto was an interesting little girl. She had a near standard if somewhat petite Zora build, with ear, head, and arm fins. Her skin was baby blue, and her eyes were green like her parents. Surprisingly she had toes instead of webbed feet, and while it seemed like the lack of fins would slow her down, Laruto had no problem moving swiftly through water (Ganondorf claimed it was because she inherited his strength). Lastly she grew soft blonde hair on her head, which Kira loved to put in pigtails.

"You want me to tell you about your parent's wedding, huh?" Laruto grinned and nodded, making the King of Hyrule smile. She turned herself around in his lap, and tucked her legs up under her little purple dress. "As you wish. Though I'll warn you now, it is a rather mushy story..."

* * *

"I can't believe my baby is getting married!" Link said as she put the finishing touches on Kira's hair, curling it and piling it atop her head with a flower holding it together. "My sweet baby girl..."

"Mama, you're embarrassing me," Kira protested, squirming to avoid getting jabbed by the dressmaker's needle as she fixed a few last minute stitches. "I'm not going anywhere, Ralis said he'll live here with me until I'm ready to move to the Domain."

"...How is a king going to rule his kingdom if he's not even living in it," came a mumble from the corner, where Ghirahim stood guard. Fi was holding baby Agahnim while waiting for her turn with the dressmaker, so of course the Princess Guard was in attendance.

"I heard that," Kira grumbled. "Fi, tell your boyfriend to shut up."

Ghirahim and Fi both turned pink. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"You won't go to sleep unless he's in the same room with you, I call that being a boyfriend."

"MAMA! Tell her to stop picking on meee!"

Link chuckled. "Now now, I don't want my babies in a sour mood. Ghirahim, never talk bad about a woman's husband when she can hear you. Kira, don't make assumptions. Fi, there's nothing wrong with having your best friend share a room with you. And Agahnim, stop eating your blanket."

Everyone laughed as the ten month old continued sucking on his blanket, oblivious to the conversation. As soon as the dressmaker finished it was Fi's turn, then Link's. The mother of three wasn't too heavily outfitted, instead she opted for a more modest version of her Festival of Spirit gown. It only needed a few minor adjustments in the bust, since she was still nursing.

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Link looked over her children, and made one final adjustment to Kira's curls. "Ghirahim, go tell your mother that we're finished, then get your armor on. Oh, I just can't believe we're really here..."

"Mama, stop sniffling," Kira softly chided, dabbing at her eyes. "You're gonna make my makeup run..."

* * *

Ralis paced back and forth in front of Ganondorf's throne. Any minute now, his advisors and citizens would start showing up for the wedding. And he was a nervous wreck.

"Anxious?" Princess Zelda came in the room, her five year old son Vaati following quietly behind. "There really is no cause to be so, weddings are largely symbolic. It does nothing to change your love for one another."

"Were you nervous for your wedding?"

"Truth be told, I never married," Zelda admitted. "Vaati's father is a scholar I met while studying the ancient tribes of the sky. You could call it my rebellious streak, I suppose. Payback for all the years of propriety I was forced to endure. He and I have a partnership, and our lack of vows does not make him any less of a father."

"...I see. Mortia would have a heart attack if she found out."

Zelda laughed. "I imagine so. Tell me, is your attire symbolic of anything?"

Ralis lifted his cape. "This was my father's, though I never met him as he passed shortly after I was born. The kilt around my waist belonged to my mother. I wasn't sure what to wear, considering I usually don't wear human clothing and their suits would be constricting."

As the two were finishing their conversation, Midna entered. "Hey Sharkbait, Princess. Having a pep talk? You better wrap it up, because Ghira says they're ready."

"Of course. Come along, Vaati, let's go find Ravi and Vio." Zelda bowed to Ralis, then left. Midna then came over and slapped Ralis on the back. "Well, Sharky, you've done your mother proud by getting this far. She would have loved to see you all grown up. Not so sure how she would have liked you marrying a human, but oh well. C'mon, let's go."

Ralis followed Midna out to the castle courtyard, where a small crowd had gathered. The wedding was to be small at Kira's request- she didn't like the idea of a public spectacle, so instead both families' closest allies and friends were invited. The Zora and Gerudo would each have their own celebrations afterward. The castle wedding would be in the Ordonian style, with the bride and groom exchanging rings in front of the king. And right now, Ralis was being stared down by said king.

Ganondorf called Ralis to the front, and inspected his attire. Ralis stood quivering as he was scrutinized, after all it was no secret that Ganondorf wasn't thrilled to be giving his daughter to a fish. But surprisingly, the Gerudo gave a small nod of approval before waving Ghirahim over to serve as best man.

"I will tell you now, boy, I expect a great deal from you," Ganondorf began as the guests settled in. "You are a king in your own right, but you are also a man. You will be joining my family. That means that my daughter becomes your world. If I ever, and I mean EVER, find out that you made her cry, there won't be enough words to describe what I will do to you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir. But if I may?" Ralis took a deep breath and steeled himself. "Kira is already my life. I put her above everything, even you... Your Majesty."

"Good." Ganondorf motioned toward the crowd, and as Ralis turned to look, his jaw dropped. Link and Fi were leading Kira up the aisle, the three of them beaming as brightly as the Light Spirits. Even Agahnim was thrilled, and babbled happily in his mother's arms.

Ralis originally thought Kira would wear something heavy in blues and purples, two of her favorite colors. Instead Kira wore pink and coral, in a dress patterned after the late Queen Rutela's fins. Her purple Gerudo circlet and the dragon scale he gave her for their engagement perfectly accented the outfit, and of course she wore her favorite coral earrings as a finishing touch.

Kira took her place next to Ralis, with Fi and Ghirahim serving as witnesses. Ganondorf pulled Link and Agahnim under his arm, as he began the ceremony.

"Guests from Hyrule, Ordon, and beyond... Roughly twenty years ago, a young man was pulled from the safety of his childhood and thrust into a world of war. His mother was taken from him and he nearly lost his life trying to save his people from the same fate. He was saved from death by an Ordonian with the eyes of a noble beast, and over the years came to view that Ordonian as a surrogate parent.

"Years pass and the Ordonian starts a family, giving birth to a wide eyed little girl with sunset hair. Inheriting her mother's innocence, the little girl makes friends with all she meets. One day she meets a man different from her, a Zora with her same green eyes. The two make friends despite their difference in age, and the little girl grows up admiring her aquatic companion.

"Of course, their growing affection faces obstacles. The man is a king and must provide for his people. His governors demand heirs to continue the prosperity of the line. The girl is but a child, twelve years younger. She is a princess but she is mixed blood, a different species. Her father is stubborn and prejudiced. It is not a match meant to be.

"But these two, they have endured the backlash against their love. He is not bothered by their age difference and will wait as long as he needs to. She is not concerned with matters of heirs or purity. Their dedication to one another has convinced those around them. The Zoras accept and await their human queen. And the Gerudo, as much as their king may grumble, he looks forward to his eventual 'fishy grandchildren'. ...I give the two of you my consent to marry. Ralis, King of the Zora, we welcome you to our family as the husband of Kira Lilly Dragmire."

Kira cheered and pounced on Ralis, who barely managed to keep from falling over. Ghirahim and Fi produced the rings, gifts hand crafted by Ganondorf himself. Ralis and Kira slipped them on each other's fingers, then shared their first kiss as newlyweds.

Of course Link started crying, and handed the baby off to Ganondorf. Zelda and Ilia sniffled with Link, while Midna and Kona cheered at the top of their lungs. The rest of the crowd offered their tidings to Aveil and Ralis's advisors. No one seemed to mind that the best man grabbed the maid of honor and pulled her aside.

"Um... Fi?" Ghirahim kicked at the dirt to avoid eye contact. "I just want to say... youlookverybeautifultoday."

Fi was stunned, and barely had time to process what was said before Ghirahim pulled her close and kissed her cheek. He then turned and dashed away, leaving her bewildered. Fi looked around but couldn't see him, instead making eye contact with her father. He sighed and shook his head, motioning for her to join her mother.

"Agahnim, I don't care who you fall in love with," Ganondorf mumbled to his sleeping son, after watching the display of affection. "Just make sure you grow up first. All this puppy love is turning me gray."

* * *

**A/N: Finally, what you've all been waiting for! **

**Laruto looks exactly like her namesake, except she has toes, green eyes, and blonde hair. The way I figure it, rules of biology take a vacation in Hyrule. XD I thought the framing device would be funny, and I wanted to incorporate something from Wind Waker into the story. That and I love the parallel between pouting 5 year old Kira and pouting 5 year old Laruto.**

**Zelda's baby daddy is another character from Twilight Princess. Can you guess who? ;) Let's assume Zelda is part Sheikah, so Vaati will look like himself. I'm introducing him here because I have plans. He's going to have a BFF, perhaps even more than a BFF in the future.**


	31. Like Father, Like Son

"Papa, Papa! What's a 'sunburnt mop?'"

Ganondorf shot up from his papers with a confused look on his face. On the other side of his desk, his six year old son stood and played with his sleeves. The little boy repeated his question, and looked to his father for answers.

"A 'sunburnt mop'? Child, what have you been getting into now?" Ganondorf came around and picked his little boy up. He rubbed Agahnim's head as he answered, "I know you know what a mop is, so surely you understand why it can't be affected by the sun like you or I can."

Agahnim fiddled with his hair, trying to put it back in place. "But Papa, I was talkin' to Kona, and she said I'm lucky I look like Mama because you looked like a sunburnt mop as a child."

The king nearly dropped his son from surprise. "WHAT?"

The freckled little boy hung his head and pouted. "Yeah, um, I was askin' Kona how come I don't look like you. Vio and Vaati look like their dads, and I really wanna be like you when I'm older... Kira looks like you..."

Ganondorf sighed. Agahnim looked very much like a Gerudo, with his golden eyes, tanned skin, and reddish orange hair. But when it came to resembling his parents, Agahnim was a clone of Link. He had her ears, her fine hair, her chubby cheeks, and the same slender nose. The only obvious trait he inherited from Ganondorf was his fingernail color.

"Agahnim, my son, do not despair," he said as he sat them both on the desk. "You are every bit my child, even if you don't have the same features as I do."

"Then why don't I look like you?"

"Genetics are complicated," Ganondorf began. "It's like pulling a card from the deck. You know what colors and suits are inside, but you can't be sure what you have until you turn your cards over."

The young prince seemed to understand his father's explanation. "So you're saying Kira got more of your cards than I did? What about Fi? She doesn't look too much like Mama, but she doesn't look a lot like you either."

Ganondorf scratched his beard. "I didn't say it has to be one or the other. Fi has a mix of features. Her mother's hair and eyes, my facial structure, her own unique colors... Anyway, we're getting away from my original point. You may not look like it now, but you will definitely resemble me when you are older. I was small as a child, shorter than Kona and Aveil. But once I hit my teens, I grew faster than a magic bean."

"Oh yeah, Kona mentioned that! She said you were a scrawny bean pole until they kicked you out and made you live in the Spirit Temple."

The king's eyes narrowed. Kona was going to get it the next time he saw her.

"She also said you were teeny tiny as a baby. You used to like playing hide and seek but would usually get lost or stuck and would cry and someone would have to get you out. But then she said that you were very brave when anyone else got hurt. When you were seven you ran the whole way from the Spirit Temple to the fortress by yourself to get help because Aveil had gotten bit by a poisonous worm. You were afraid that she wouldn't make it, so you ran through the wasteland without trying to find a poe guide. Kona said I remind her of that little boy."

"Is that so?" Perhaps he wouldn't need revenge on her after all. "Agahnim my son, you're small and cute. A lot of little boys don't like being cute, you know why? Because they think cute is bad. Well, they're wrong. I wish I could have been as cute as you are when I was six. You may not yet resemble me on the outside as much as your sisters do, but that's not a bad thing because you resemble me on the inside. Just don't go climbing up walls you shouldn't and you won't end up with a giant scar on your arm like I did when I was six."

"Umm..."

That was when Ganondorf noticed an increase in the rate at which Agahnim pulled at his sleeves. "Tell me you didn't..."

"Not on purpose..." Agahnim mumbled as Ganondorf hiked up the little boy's sleeves. Sure enough, his left arm was heavily bandaged and his right was covered in scrapes. He was understandably alarmed.

"In the name of the Golden Goddesses! When did this happen?"

"This morning... After swordplay with you and history with Mama, I went outside and was flying my kite when it got stuck on the edge of the courtyard wall spikeys. I knew not to climb up the wall and walked up the stairs, but couldn't reach it from the walkway so I had to crawl out on the ledge. Then I fell down. Kona saw me fall and wrapped my arms up, then said I was 'my father's son'. What's that mean?"

"It means we need to go clean you up before your mother finds out," he said, scooping Agahnim up and heading straight for the doctor's quarters. He smiled as he watched his son fidget, and knew more than anyone that this kid would get his wish. He was definitely his father's son, even if he only resembled his mother in the meantime.


	32. You Tell Him

A/N: Happy Valentines Day!

* * *

"You tell him."

"What?! He's your father, you tell him!"

"I can't, I'll get too emotional..."

"Emotional? What about when he KILLS ME after I tell him?!"

Young Agahnim came wandering into the pantry, looking for a quick snack, when he accidentally walked into a conversation between his oldest sister and her Zoran husband. From the looks on their faces, it was a rather intense subject.

"Papa won't kill you."

"Yes he will! Don't you remember how much work it was just to get him to stop growling every time I kissed you in public?"

"Please, just tell him."

"...I'll tell him!"

Kira and Ralis stopped their bickering and turned to their little eavesdropper, who was smiling up at them while chomping on a loaf of bread. "...What am I telling him?"

"Agahnim? When did you come in?" Kira asked, quickly taking the loaf away from him and replacing it with a much healthier carrot stick. "You know it's not nice to listen in on other people's conversations."

"What all did you hear?" Ralis asked in panic, before being shushed by Kira.

"Just you two fighting over who should tell Papa somfin," he answered. "Maybe you should tell Mama instead. She doesn't get as mad as he does, and maybe she'll tell Papa for you."

"Little dude's got a point," Ralis said. "Let's tell Link instead."

"I already told Mama, and she said we need to tell Papa in person," Kira replied. "Besides, he does deserve to hear it straight from us."

"Great. Just let me get my final affairs in order before my execution, then," Ralis cringed, as Kira sighed.

Agahnim, oblivious to the situation, started to get worried and clung to Ralis's leg. "Papa's not really gonna kill you, right Uncle Rally...?"

"Oh, for Farore's sake! Look what you did," Kira grumbled at her husband, scooping up her sniffling baby brother. "No, Agahnim, Papa isn't going to kill Ralis, we didn't do anything wrong." She then sat him down on the table, and knelt to eye level. "You know how Ralis is your uncle? Well, you're going to be an uncle too! I'm going to have a baby!"

"Huh?" Agahnim stopped sniffling, and stared at Kira. "You're gonna... be a mommy?"

"That's right, a few seasons from now," she answered.

"And Papa's gonna be mad?"

"No, he loves his babies and I know he'll love his grandbabies just as much," she said, picking him back up. "Come on, Ralis, let's just go get it over with."

Kira and Ralis marched out of the pantry toward Ganondorf's study, Agahnim holding tightly around Kira's neck. When they arrived the door was slightly ajar, the usual sign for "come in", so they gathered their wits and entered.

"Papa? Ralis and I would like to speak with you..." Kira announced as she tiptoed in, relieved to see her mother sitting on the edge of the desk.

Ganondorf sat the stack of letters and reports he was working on aside when he heard the door opening. Link had come to tell him that Kira had something very important she wanted to discuss with him, and that she hoped he would be on his best behavior, whatever that meant.

"Yes, come in!" he bellowed, and motioned to the chairs in front of the desk. He was slightly alarmed when he saw Agahnim clinging to Kira's neck; the seven year old was small and clumsy for his age, much like he was, and Ganondorf worried that Agahnim was afraid of coming to him for help.

"Is something the matter? Is Agahnim hurt?"

"Oh no," Kira answered, handing him off to Link. "Actually, Ralis and I have something we wanted to tell you..."

"Please don't kill them!" Agahnim suddenly burst out, burying his face in Link's chest and startling Ganondorf.

"What? Me, kill my children?! Son, what are you talking about? Link, Kira, what is going on here...?" Ganondorf stood from his chair in alarm, as Link comforted their son.

Deciding to call forth her mother's courage, Kira grabbed her husband's hand and took a deep breath. "Papa... I'm pregnant. That's what's going on. Ralis and I are having a baby. Agahnim overheard the two of us trying to decide who should tell you, and Ralis thought that you wouldn't take it too well coming from him. That's why Agahnim got scared, he thought you would really hurt us."

Ganondorf stood still, his stone face making the whole room uneasy. After a few moments of silence, he came out from behind the desk and stood in front of Ralis. "...Congratulations are in order, then," he said, and extended his hand. Kira sighed in relief as they shook hands, and turned to Link and Agahnim for a hug. While she was turned, he used the opportunity to give Ralis a stern glare that he won't soon forget.

Later that night after tucking Agahnim in and retiring, Link relayed the boy's concerns to Ganondorf. "The poor thing, he was really scared that you were going to kill Ralis."

"This whole situation could have been avoided if you had just told me yourself in the first place," he snorted as he removed his robes.

"No, Kira needed to tell you on her own," Link retorted. "Besides, remember all that 'Gerudo having children as young as fifteen' stuff? She'll be twenty five, and they've been married for seven years. I mean, it's not like it's Fi that's pregnant..."

Ganondorf suddenly got blue in the face, and immediately threw his robe back on.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to check on Fi," he growled, and stomped out of the bedroom.


	33. Socially Awkward

"Now class, I want you to write a small essay on the six basic tenants of war. You have ten minutes. Begin."

Fourteen year old Agahnim sat squirming at his desk, hyper aware of the snickers and stares directed his way. Was it that obvious that he couldn't remember all six? He loved reading and practiced his magic every day, but when it came to war, he blanked out. The other students in the ten pupil class were busy writing away, and some had finished. They were mostly children of nobles and officers, and received their education in the classroom instead of out in the field.

"Hey, I'll betcha Agahnim wishes he could just ask his _daddy_ to write the essay for him," one of the other students said, just loud enough for Agahnim to hear. Agahnim bowed his head and shied away; it was Ganondorf's idea to have his son attend public classes, as an attempt to help alleviate his awkwardness. But more often than not the other boys picked on Agahnim, mocking him for his interest in embroidery or his strong resemblance to Link. There were many times when Agahnim wanted to drop out of classes because of this, but feared doing so would disappoint his family. So he kept at it, hoping each morning the other kids in class would wake up with the flu or cuccoopox.

"Master Agahnim, what is this?" Agahnim looked up from his thoughts to find Professor Bremen standing in front of his desk, staring at his paper. "Already five minutes have passed, and you have but 'water' and 'spirit' written on your paper. Have you no idea what you are to be writing about?"

"Umm... I think light is another one?"

The rest of the class burst into laughter, though the professor quickly shushed them. "Master Agahnim, we are discussing the tenants of war, not the six sages of Hyrule. If you do not know the subject, there is no use in you writing the essay. The rest of you turn your papers in, then you may leave for the day."

Agahnim watched as the other children turned in their papers and left, then miserably gathered up his things and stared out the window. He always waited until the professor left, just to give himself a buffer in case one of the kids decided to play bully and wait around for him after class. It was always better if the professor chased them off than if he called for a guard, because then he'd just be mocked by both the kid and the guard who had to save him.

Today though, there was actually someone waiting to speak with him as he left. One of the other students, a girl with long dark hair and soft ruby eyes, stood by the door with a pile of books in her arms. She also had a folded letter tucked between her fingers.

"Umm, sorry for startling you, but... I wrote them down for you..." She motioned with her arms, until Agahnim got the hint and took the letter. "'Be swift as the wind, as silent as the forest, as fierce as fire, as unmovable as a mountain, as bewildering as the shadow, and as unpredictable as a bolt of lightening.'"

"That's funny, because the forest is anything but silent," Agahnim mused, then stepped forward and took the books from her. "You were going to drop them."

"Oh, thank you... It's understandable that you got the tenants mixed up with the sages. There's a wind sage and an earth sage that don't get mentioned with the six, plus the seventh who binds them together. Then sometimes people say there are seven sages with an eighth that binds them together..."

Agahnim listened to the girl ramble, and followed her as she led him out of the classroom, through the university, and into the courtyard that connected the university to the castle. The girl then led him straight into the castle library, all the while talking to him about sages and wise men.

"So, I guess I should call you Master Agahnim, being the prince and all," she mumbled, wandering over to a table near the study area. "Are you part of any royal bloodlines? I know your father started the Dragmire line, so you are not part of the Nohansen line and thus not related to the sages of old..."

"Well, you are right about the Dragmire line, but my mother is the Hero of Time's great grandaughter. There's also a high likelihood that my grandmother Kirala was descended from the Kokiri, as is my aunt Uli, because Ordonians are spiritually linked to the forest children. I could be related to a sage. And it's a big secret but I'm also a quarter Sheikah..."

The girl interrupted Agahnim, "I'm sorry, 'Hero of Time'? I've never heard the legendary hero called that before."

"Oh, I guess you wouldn't know about that," Agahnim admitted. "Sorry, my mama and I have been spending a lot of time in the Sacred Grove learning about my great great grandfather. You see, it's a little gruesome but my mama met him."

"Ew!" The girl was strangely interested, and plopped down at a vacant table. "Was he all bones? Could he talk?"

"He was a specter, and haunted the world because he regretted not being able to pass on his skills," Agahnim explained, sitting across from her. "At least, that's what he told Mama. She told me that the real reason he remained here is because he didn't receive the recognition and praise he thought he deserved after saving two kingdoms."

Agahnim used the girl's books as props to illustrate his story. "He was a child when he was thrust into war, and forced to travel forward and backward through time to save Hyrule. Then when it was over, they sent him back to the beginning, effectively erasing everything he had done. After that, he wandered into another kingdom and had to relive the same three days over and over to break a curse. Then when it was done, no one else knew what really happened. He ended up taking his regrets to his grave, and couldn't pass on."

"How did you and your mother find this all out?"

"He apparently told my great great grandmother, because Mama ended up discovering a journal. His wife loved him very much but thought some of his stories were delusions, though she recorded them just in case they turned out not to be. They found the journal buried in a box out at Mama's old ranch. Dunno why it would have been out there..."

"I do."

Agahnim and his school mate turned around to see Princess Zelda smiling warmly, with a tray of snacks in her hands. "Mind if I join you two?"

"Not at all, Your Highness," Agahnim answered, standing and motioning to the empty bench beside him. "Please..."

Zelda served the snacks and took her seat, then turned to the girl. "Hilda, making friends already? I'm so glad. Agahnim, has Hilda introduced herself to you?"

"Well, not really," the girl admitted. "We've just been talking about sages and stuff..."

"Hilda, you know better," Zelda lightly scolded, before turning to Agahnim. "Agahnim, this is Hilda, my little cousin. Unfortunately her parents have passed, so Shad and I will be taking care of her from now on. I'm glad you've made friends with her, Agahnim, she'll need someone to show her how things are done around here."

"Yes, Your Highness, I understand. Nice to meet you, Hilda," Agahnim said with a bow.

Zelda smiled warmly, then returned to the discussion at hand. "Now, about that journal... Your grandmother was Ordonian, but your grandfather who carried the hero's blood came from Kakariko, correct? So why would a journal chronicling your hero ancestor's life be buried in Ordonia?"

"I don't know why," Agahnim answered.

"Because Ordon Ranch was once a Lon Lon Ranch," she answered. "Ask Fado, the owner. He can probably trace the records back to the founder. It would make sense, especially now that we know the Temple of Time the Queen has been visiting is the same Temple of Time that my ancestor split the Triforce in. This is one of Shad's favorite subjects, you see, so I helped him research it."

"Princess Zelda is so wise," Hilda said, so shy and childlike that Agahnim almost forgot she was the same age as him.

"Sage theory is Hilda's favorite subject," Zelda advised Agahnim. "Shad and I have started making lists of books and classes that might interest her. Perhaps the next time you and your mother take a trip to the Sacred Grove, you could invite Hilda along?"

"Of course! We'd love the company." Agahnim turned and smiled at Hilda, and was relieved to see her smiling back. He didn't have any real friends apart from Zelda's son Vaati, and was worried that he'd fail if he tried to make one. Though with Hilda, he appeared to have succeeded without even trying. "Would you like to come with us next time, Hilda?"

"I'd love to...!"

"How kind of you," Zelda said, and stood from her chair. "Now if you two will excuse me, I have a council meeting with your father, Agahnim. The Goddesses have been good to us lately, hopefully it will go smoothly..."

"Be careful, Your Highness," Agahnim warned with a smile on his face. "Papa was going to babysit Laruto this morning while Kira and Ralis took a trip to the Spirit's Spring. Six year olds aren't too good at keeping secrets, so Papa may or may not already know there's another Zoran Dragmire on the way."

Zelda's eyes went wide for a split second, before she burst into laughter. "Oh my, thank you for the warning! I shall have to make sure I seat myself between Ganondorf and Ralis so the king doesn't grip the poor lad's shoulder to powder. Fourteen years of marriage and he still guards Kira like a treasure chest. Is he that overprotective of Fi?"

"Strangely no," he replied. "I guess he just implicitly trusts Ghirahim to keep his hands off her. From what I heard, Papa and Ghira had a 'long talk' a while ago and now they're best buds. Besides, I'll bet Ghirahim is more afraid of what Midna would do to him anyway than what Papa would do to him if harm came to Fi. Aunt Midna is scary."

"No argument there," Zelda shrugged, and stood to leave. "Hilda, why don't you tell Agahnim about the time you visited the Twilight realm and saw Vio knock the bookshelves over in the Twilight Hall of Scholars?"

Hilda shuddered. "Queen Midna was real mad, she started shouting and..."

From over on the walkway in the central hall, Link leaned against the railing and watched as her shy son lit up with laughter alongside his new friend. "Aww, I just knew he would find someone to talk with eventually. And she's so cute, too. Look at her..."

The Gerudo king sighed, and turned his attention from the little Zora picking at his headdress to the two teens chatting across the hall. "...You are not bothered by her raven hair and gloomy appearance?"

"Don't be racist, she's a beautiful girl," Link scolded, taking Laruto down from Ganondorf's shoulders. "And you'd be gloomy too if your family died from a preventable illness. Now give me and Laruto kisses before your meeting."

"Kissies!"

Ganondorf answered Link and Laruto with one kiss each, then set off for his meeting. Truth be told, he couldn't be more proud of his son for finally making a friend on his own. And gloomy or not, Hilda was a perfect match for his wise little boy. "The Goddesses have granted me my desires, but they torture me with grandchildren and puppy love," he mumbled with a grin, and strode confidently down the hall.

* * *

A/N: After all this time, I think I failed to mention that the Ganondorf in this story isn't exactly the same Ganondorf as in Ocarina of Time. Oops. :x Suspend disbelief if you will, and imagine that my Ganondorf was imprisoned while he was relatively young (let's say twenty) and spent ten years in the twilight. But to him, those ten years felt like a hundred, and while there he picked up the knowledge and skill of the Gerudo and Sheikah who were banished before him.

Truth be told when I first played Twilight Princess, I never picked up on the idea that this was supposed to be Ocarina Ganondorf, or that the Hero's Shade was Ocarina Link. ^^;


End file.
